The captain of the England Test cricket team, Ben Stokes, opened up about the upcoming England vs India Test series, which is all set to kickstart from 20th June at Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, England.
While the fans are waiting eagerly for the upcoming Test series to kickstart, Ben Stokes has stressed on the fact that they do not fear the Indian cricket team or the sensational bowler Jasprit Bumrah.
Ben Stokes Gave A Big Warning To Team India Ahead Of 1st ENG vs IND Test Match
The England captain stressed that the team faces quality opposition every time they go out to play in international cricket. He said that while the team respects every rival that they play against, there is no question of fearing them at all.
Speaking to the media, ahead of the first Test match at Headingley, Ben Stokes said that Jasprit Bumrah, despite being one of the greatest bowlers, didn’t have the ability to single-handedly win the Test match for the Indian cricket team. He said: “No fear,”
He added: “In international cricket, you come up against quality opposition all the time. We know his class and what he brings to any team he plays for, but in terms of fear, definitely not.”
“I don’t think one bowler alone is going to win the series for either team. All 11 [players] have to stand up. I don’t think there is just one person in either team holding the key to success,” the England captain concluded.”
India’s sensational bowler Jasprit Bumrah has a terrific record against the England cricket team in Test matches. He has picked up 60 wickets out of the 14 games that they have played against the England cricket team. Bumrah has picked up 37 wickets at an average of 26.27, specifically in English conditions. His overall average against the England cricket team is 22.16.
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Ben Stokes Revealed His Chat With Virat Kohli
Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes praised Virat Kohli, saying India will miss his “fighting spirit” in the upcoming five-Test series starting June 20. Stokes added it’ll feel strange not seeing Kohli’s No. 18 jersey on the field. India will be without Rohit Sharma and Kohli, who both retired from Test cricket last month. Shubman Gill will lead the team.
In a video released by England Cricket on their Instagram, Stokes said: “I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn’t he? It’ll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time.”
Furthermore, Ben Stokes also revealed that he did messaged Virat Kohli after the ace batter announced his retirement from the longest format of the game. He revealed:
“I did text him, saying it’s going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat. We both love playing against each other because we have that same mindset when we are out in the field that it’s a battle,” he said.
“He has been incredible and he deserves sort of I’m sure no doubt there’s been a lot of praise for him over in India. There’s definitely been praise from players over here and you know he’s done really well against England so yeah, he has been a class player.” Stokes added.
Virat Kohli ended his 14-year Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries. He retired as the fourth-most successful Test captain, behind Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh. Ben Stokes also shared that he messaged Kohli after he announced his retirement.
England’s Playing XI vs India For 1st Test Match
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
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