Ranchi, Feb 22: Bowling full tilt at nets raised hopes of Ben Stokes rolling his arms over in the fourth Test against India but the England captain on Thursday preferred to keep the suspense over his availability as a bowler here.
Due to issues with his knee, Stokes has been playing only as a batter since the second Ashes Test last June.However, he was seen bowling extensively at the nets on the eve of the fourth Test.Asked about the possibility of him bowling in the match, Stokes said, “Nah, I think it’s maybe, maybe not.” Stokes said going in with two pacers is the best option for England, forcing them to include the tall Ollie Robinson in the playing XI, even though the Ranchi track is likely to assist the spinners.“Bringing Robbo (Robinson) in gives us good options, especially looking at this wicket,” Stokes said at the pre-match media interaction.
“I feel like the spin will be assisted, but I also feel having two seamers gives us a good chance purely because of Ollie Robinson’s release height and his relentlessness with his areas.”
Stokes added spice to the talks on Ranchi pitch, saying he has not seen anything remotely like the 22-yard strip here in the past. (PTI)
