11 hours ago
Two superstars will decide outcome of England-India test series claims Rob Key
Rob Key claimed that Ben Stokes and Jasprit Bumrah are the reason cricket fans turn on the TV, ahead of the England v India Test series.
Headingley plays host to the opening Test of the five-match series on Friday 20 June, with England lining up against an India side lacking some of their top talents.
With the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma now retired, star pace bowler Bumrah is one of the remaining frontline figures of the travelling squad.
Key, the ex-Kent batter and current England Cricket managing director, has looked ahead to the upcoming Test series, saying: 'What you want is the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Ben Stokes playing at their best… that's why people turn on the TV.'
Speaking to the Times of India, Key added: 'With Stokes, we know he's probably not going to be able to bowl 10-15 over spells time and time again. Ben is one of the brightest cricketers.
'You can see that by the way he captains. He's got to look after himself, which he will do. You want to make sure that you've got these players there for every pivotal moment.'
With Sharma's retirement India were in need of a new captain and Bumrah was not made India skipper because of fitness concerns. The mantel instead went to highly-rated batsman Shubman Gill who will need to orchestrate a run of strong performances in challenging conditions for the tourists.
Stokes, who has spent plenty of time managing his recovery from recent injuries, was made England captain when Joe Root stepped down in 2022 and has overseen a resurgence in the test side over the last three years.
The 34-year-old worked in partnership with coach Brendan McCullum to introduce a more free-flowing and positive nature of play though recent series have focused on refining 'Bazball' to suit match situations.
Bumrah and Stokes will surely be important figures in the five-match series, which will see the inaugural awarding of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
The title was renamed earlier in the year, recognising the top run-scorer in Test history, Sachin Tendulkar, and the most successful wicket taker in the international red ball game, James Anderson.
