Ben Stokes, the English cricket all-rounder, remains uncertain about his plans to resume bowling in the final two Tests of the ongoing series in India. Stokes, who underwent surgery on his left knee at the end of November, hasn’t bowled since last June, limiting his participation in the series to batting.
However, Stokes did resume bowling in the nets ahead of the second Test in Vizag and was seen bowling at near full tilt during practice in Rajkot. Despite this, head coach Brendon McCullum cautioned that he may intervene to prevent Stokes from bowling long spells.
McCullum commented, “Ben is clever; he won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then can’t get out of it.”
With England trailing 2-1 in the series, Stokes expressed feeling ‘pretty good’ bowling at full tilt in the nets. However, he remained non-committal about bowling in the last two Tests, stating, “Me being me, I’m always very optimistic about most things.”
Stokes emphasized the need for a detailed discussion with the medical team to assess his workload and determine if bowling poses a risk. He highlighted his ability to bowl at 100% during warm-up, indicating his readiness, but also stressed the importance of avoiding unnecessary risks.
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