After missing time due to injury, Ben Stokes is back in the England starting lineup. After tearing his hamstring during The Hundred 2024, he was unable to play in the three-match Test series against Sri Lanka at home. When England defeated Pakistan by 47 runs and an inning in the first Test match in Multan, he was supposed to make a comeback, but he was unable to do so.
In the second Test, both teams will battle on the same field and at the same location. The fact that the upcoming Test match will be played with the same surface and conditions made Stokes’ choice to make a comeback easier, he added. Stokes has also returned to his captaincy regime. It is important to remember that the Multan pitch was scrutinized for having a flat deck and lots of runs during the first test.
Playing on a used wicket actually made the choice a little bit simpler. You like to assume, however, that this will spin a little bit more. Carsey and Pottsy are two of our team’s best workers who never stop working. However, I’m available to bowl, and when I feel the moment is right, I won’t have any reservations about coming on and making an impact,” Stokes stated, as reported by Mail Online.
Ben Stokes might have been spotted bowling in the second Test.
Matthew Pott, who last played for England against Sri Lanka in the Lord’s Test, has returned in addition to Stokes. Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes were then dropped in an attempt to accommodate the anticipated spinning conditions. The initial idea was to play as a specialist batter, but Stokes also alluded to the possibility of changing his mind.
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Those were the kinds of things that crossed my mind at home before to our departure. He continued, “I’d written a couple teams down with me not bowling, and it just didn’t work.”