A fit again Ben Stokes aims to dominate all phases of the game as England gear up for the new World Test Championship cycle. Stokes and Co will play a 4-day Test against Zimbabwe, before the blockbuster IND vs ENG 5-Test series. The 33-year-old returns to action after a long injury-related absence.
IND vs ENG: Fully fit Ben Stokes to bowl despite injury troubles
Ben Stokes is eyeing a huge summer after regaining full fitness following a lengthy rehabilitation from a hamstring injury. The 33-year-old tore his hamstring in New Zealand in December, an injury he had also suffered in August. While he had admitted rushed back for the tour of Pakistan, Stokes now has taken the longer route with the India series and Ashes in sight.
“My ethos when I’m injured is I come back fitter than I was before I got injured. I’ve worked incredibly hard on all aspects of everything, from my cricket to fitness, and know I’m going to be in a position when I am back on the field to potentially be in physically the best possible shape I have been in,” Stokes told Nasser Hussain in an interview with Sky Sports.
Stokes has often refrained from bowling given his injury record. The 33-year-old played the 2023 World Cup as a pure batter, and could possibly have done so for the India vs England Tests. The veteran, however, wants to continue his role of being the 4th seamer and try and dominate the opposition.
“But in terms of my role as a player – fourth seamer, batting at six – trying to dominate every situation I find myself in, whether I’ve got a bat or a ball in my hand, is what I want to get back doing out on the field on the biggest stage. I know I’ve done it before and it’s something I’m very, very confident in myself I can do,” Stokes added.
Will not burn myself out: Stokes
Ben Stokes has been guilty of running himself on fumes when England need him the most. The skipper has a history of overburdening himself in the all-rounder role but aims to find the right balance. England play 5 Tests vs India at home and then have an Ashes in Australia – which could define Stokes’ captaincy legacy.
“I am 33, I don’t want to expose myself to a situation where I am off the field when I don’t have to be. I talk to Baz a lot about many different things, we’ve spoken about this kind of stuff and how he’s going to help me better, how he’s going to speak to me a lot more about this stuff. We’ve worked together for so long, we know each other inside out and those discussions we’ve had over the last couple of months have been very good,” he added.
Ben Stokes has a good record against India with ball in hand. In the 7 Tests he’s played against India at home, the England captain has 26 wickets at an average of 27.69. He picked 4/33 in the 5th Test at Edgbaston in 2022, including the wickets of Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. His spell helped the hosts draw level with India after going 2-1 down in the series. With India’s batting order fragile with the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the England captain will be aiming to set his mark.
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