Talking to the travelling UK media on Tuesday, Stokes had insisted he’d be pleased to again “any” of England’s 4 seamers to lead the road, however, upon confirming the workforce on the pre-match press convention on Wednesday, he acknowledged that Wood’s excessive tempo was a tempting possibility to flip to. This would be the first time since 1962 that England have gone right into a Check match with a solitary quick bowler.
“Once you go together with one seamer, you have a look at the influence you need out of that seamer,” Stokes mentioned. “What Woody brings together with his excessive tempo, he’s an actual influence bowler. If we will get the ball swinging, him bowling in the 90s-mph with a reverse-swinging ball will likely be very tough to play in opposition to.
“He is a weapon we will use in quick, sharp spells. We have already mentioned that to him. Bowl as quick as you may in quick intervals. There is not any worries about interested by lengthy spells. You by no means know, issues may change and he might need to bowl a couple of lengthy spells. That is how I envision utilizing Woody earlier than we have bowled a ball.”
On the prospect of Hartley’s debut, Stokes steered the Lancashire spinner’s peak and tempo of bowling meant he may doubtlessly replicate a number of the success loved by India’s spinners in their house situations.
“Tom is somebody who’s clearly very tall,” he mentioned. “He bowls at a really tough tempo to find a way to deal with out right here and he is somebody who will get loads of pure variation which, in India, is usually the toughest factor to face the place you’ve got received two of the identical ball, ball after ball, and one turns sq. and the one may skid on and choose up tempo. So it is simply making an attempt to give ourselves the very best probability of having the ability to exploit situations that now we have skilled from the Indian opposition out right here as nicely.”
“There is not any doubt concerning the talent Ben Foakes possesses behind the stumps,” Stokes mentioned. “He can’t solely do issues different keepers cannot but additionally make them look extremely straightforward. So having somebody like that behind the sticks is helpful, particularly if we do discover ourselves in situations the place the ball is spinning. He is a really particular expertise behind there and having somebody like that may possibly take a two per cent, three per cent probability that may very well be huge in the collection. It is good to have somebody like that behind the stumps.
“I’ve already spoken to him [Bairstow] and advised him Ben Foakes goes to maintain and he ought to simply fear about batting at No.5. We have seen what occurred when he was given readability over his position in my first summer season as captain, we noticed what we managed to get out of him, and I do not need him to fear about something aside from batting at 5, getting runs and what’s in entrance of him in the right here and now.”
Talking extra broadly on England’s method to choice over the approaching weeks, Stokes reiterated the necessity for dexterity, each in phrases of considering and use of assets.
“I do not essentially suppose it is daring or courageous, it is simply me and Baz trying on the wicket and choosing the XI that we predict will give us the very best probability,” he mentioned. “You have got all the time received to suppose that the ball goes to flip in India, however you don’t need to go in with any preconceived concepts. We’ve got to adapt to no matter now we have introduced in entrance of us, with bat and ball.
“India is one of these locations the place you’ve got received to take into consideration choice much more than wherever else in the world, due to what you may get from the wicket.”
The situations may even see Stokes flex his fame for funky captaincy and toss Root the brand new ball.
“Once more, as I mentioned concerning the pitches, it will be a whole and utter intestine factor, as most of my choices like which might be. You may even see Rooty taking the brand new ball relying on what I really feel. If [Yashasvi] Jaiswal opens the batting you may see Rooty opening the bowling with that new ball as a result of it is spinning away from the bat.”
England XI 1 Zak Crawley, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Jonny Bairstow, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Rehan Ahmed, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Tom Hartley, 11 Jack Leach
7.53am GMT: This story was up to date following affirmation of England’s Check workforce.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an affiliate editor at ESPNcricinfo
