England’s red-ball captain, Ben Stokes,
is gearing up to lead the Three Lions in the upcoming five-match Test series
against Bharat, with coach Brendon McCullum praising him as “stripping fit.”
The series commences in Hyderabad, promising a highly anticipated battle
between the two cricketing powerhouses, on January 25.
Stokes, who underwent knee surgery at
the end of November following the ODI World Cup, has put in dedicated efforts
to ensure his fitness for the series.
Coach McCullum expressed confidence in
Stokes’ physical condition, stating, “Ben Stokes looks like a greyhound, he’s
stripping fit. He’s put the hard work in, and everyone knows his work ethic is
phenomenal.”
McCullum emphasized the importance of
balancing England’s Test squad, with the recent inclusion of Surrey’s Dan
Lawrence and wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
The challenging Indian pitches, expected
to favour spin, might see Tom Hartley and Shoib Bashir making their Test
debuts.
The coach stressed the need for bravery
in squad selection, stating, “India is the land of opportunity, and that’s what
sits in front of us now. We’ll take the positive option. Other teams might be
better, but we want to be the bravest.”
Reflecting on the team’s preparation,
McCullum highlighted the “bulletproof” attitude cultivated during the training
camp in Abu Dhabi. He emphasized the psychological aspect of the game, saying, “All
you’re trying to do is get guys in the frame of mind where they feel 10 foot
tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play.”
As Bharat’s Virat Kohli withdraws from
the first two Tests due to personal reasons, England’s squad, led by Stokes,
includes seasoned players like James Anderson and Jonny Bairstow, along with
promising talents like Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope.
McCullum acknowledged the
straightforward strategy, stating, “We’ve got to take 20 wickets with the ball
in each Test and get one more run than them with the bat.”
The upcoming Test series promises an exciting
clash between Bharat and England, with Ben Stokes at the helm, eager to lead
his team to success on the challenging Indian pitches.
