TimesofIndia.com in Leeds: England captain Ben Stokes has acknowledged the absence of Indian stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin from the upcoming five-Test series but cautioned against underestimating the new-look Indian team. Speaking on the eve of the series opener at Headingley, Stokes said their replacements are no less threatening.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“A lot said about no Rohit, no Virat, no Ashwin. That doesn’t mean whoever will replace them will be easier to bowl or bat against. Three massive names, done wonderful things for the country,” Stokes told the media on Thursday.India’s youthful squad, led by new captain Shubman Gill, has drawn plenty of attention, and Stokes highlighted both the challenge and opportunity that comes with change.
“Jasprit Bumrah is a fantastic bowler. He is going to be a threat but focusing on one individual is not what we are going to be doing. Exciting time for Indian cricket with new leadership role for Shubman Gill,” Stokes added, reflecting on the shift in India’s Test setup.Stokes also welcomed the return of seasoned all-rounder Chris Woakes, citing England’s unbeaten run with him under the current leadership.
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“Since me and Baz (Brendon McCullum) have been together, don’t think we have lost a game when Chris Woakes played. Good to have him.”On the conditions, Stokes praised Headingley for its balanced wicket: “Headingley is generally the better cricket wicket overall. Let’s see what the weather has in store.”As for England’s push to reach their first ICC World Test Championship final – despite all three previous editions being held on home soil – Stokes was clear about the team’s goal.“To get to WTC final, we need to win matches. That’s what we need to focus on… the series ahead of us. If we win matches, we will reach final. And if we get there, we will look to win that too.”
England XI for 1st Test vs India
1. Zak Crawley, 2. Ben Duckett, 3. Ollie Pope, 4. Joe Root, 5. Harry Brook, 6. Ben Stokes (capt), 7. Jamie Smith (WK), 8. Chris Woakes, 9. Brydon Carse, 10. Josh Tongue, 11. Shoaib Bashir
