IND Vs ENG: Ben Stokes Unlikely To Bowl, England Make Two Changes For 4th Test In Ranchi Against India

Ranchi: England made two changes from their previous Test for the fourth game against India to be played at the Jharkhand Association Sports Complex in Ranchi in the ongoing series. Pacer Ollie Robinson and spinner Shoaib Bashir have been named in the playing XI replacing Rehan Ahmed and Mark Wood respectively. Captain Ben Stokes has also declined to commit to bowling in the game.

Having started the series with a huge win over India, England’s famed ‘Bazball’ approach has gone haywire in the next two games in Visakhapatnam and Rajkot. While India won the second Test by 10 wickets, the third game saw the hosts drubbing Stokes and Co. by a mammoth 434 runs.

The only positives from the first three Tests for England are Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Tom Hartley. While Pope and Duckett are the only English centurions so far in the series, Hartley is England’s top wicket-taker with 16 scalps in the first three games.

Meanwhile, Robinson is playing his first Test since July last year. He had gotten injured in The Ashes against Australia at Leeds. He will be partnering 41-year-old James Anderson with the new ball. On the other hand, Bashir, who made his international debut in this series, will be playing his second game.

He was a part of the playing XI in the second game and picked up four wickets, conceding close to 200 runs. Meanwhile, Anderson is just four wickets away from touching elusive 700 Test wickets milestone at MS Dhoni’s homeground. More than is age, Stokes will be banking on his experience.

However, Stokes tried to keep his chances of rolling his arms a secret. When asked if he would be taking up the ball, the skipper stated his return to a full all-rounder status depends on the match situation. Stokes hadn’t bowled since his knee surgery last year.

“As keen as I am to get there, I do have to be very sensible about it,” he said. “I feel like the spin will be assisted here 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,” he added.

For the record, England haven’t won a Test series in India since 2012. India are leading 2-1 in the series.

England’s Playing XI For 4th Test: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes (C), Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Ollie Robinson, James Anderson and Shoaib Bashir