Ben Stokes on India Test series: 'No Virat, Rohit or Ashwin, but that doesn't make it easier'
England captain Ben Stokes (Pic credit: Sahil Malhotra/TimesofIndia.com)
TimesofIndia.com in Leeds:
England captain
Ben Stokes
has acknowledged the absence of Indian stalwarts
Virat Kohli
,
Rohit Sharma
and
Ravichandran Ashwin
from the upcoming five-Test series but cautioned against underestimating the new-look Indian team.
Speaking on the eve of the series opener at Headingley, Stokes said their replacements are no less threatening.
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'A lot said about no Rohit, no Virat, no Ashwin. That doesn't mean whoever will replace them will be easier to bowl or bat against. Three massive names, done wonderful things for the country,' Stokes told the media on Thursday.
India's youthful squad, led by new captain
Shubman Gill
, has drawn plenty of attention, and Stokes highlighted both the challenge and opportunity that comes with change.
19:34
Nick Knight EXCLUSIVE: On Shubman Gill and absence of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in England
'Jasprit Bumrah is a fantastic bowler. He is going to be a threat but focusing on one individual is not what we are going to be doing. Exciting time for Indian cricket with new leadership role for Shubman Gill,' Stokes added, reflecting on the shift in India's Test setup.
Stokes also welcomed the return of seasoned all-rounder
Chris Woakes
, citing England's unbeaten run with him under the current leadership.
Poll
Will India's new leadership under Shubman Gill be a game changer in the Test series against England?
Yes, they will perform exceptionally
No, it will take time to adjust
It depends on individual performances
Can't say, too unpredictable
'Since me and Baz (Brendon McCullum) have been together, don't think we have lost a game when Chris Woakes played.
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Good to have him.'
On the conditions, Stokes praised Headingley for its balanced wicket: 'Headingley is generally the better cricket wicket overall. Let's see what the weather has in store.'
As for England's push to reach their first ICC World Test Championship final - despite all three previous editions being held on home soil - Stokes was clear about the team's goal.
'To get to WTC final, we need to win matches. That's what we need to focus on… the series ahead of us. If we win matches, we will reach final. And if we get there, we will look to win that too.'
England XI for 1st Test vs India
1. Zak Crawley, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Ollie Pope, 4. Joe Root, 5. Harry Brook, 6. Ben Stokes (capt), 7. Jamie Smith (WK), 8. Chris Woakes, 9. Brydon Carse, 10. Josh Tongue, 11. Shoaib Bashir
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