Can Ben Stokes change England’s fortunes in Test cricket?
Ben Stokes (Image source- Twitter)
England revamped their limited-overs cricket after being humiliated in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup where they bowed out of the tournament after losing in the quarterfinals. With Eoin Morgan taking charge of the ODI team, he instilled fearlessness in the team. He brought in players like Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy and James Vince, who transformed England into a ruthless limited-overs set-up. This helped the team win the 2019 World Cup as well.
However, with England focussing on limited-overs cricket, their form in Test cricket saw a significant dip. With Joe Root at the helm, England went on to lose most of their matches. After a series win in Sri Lanka in 2020, England lost 3-1 to India in India. They then lost 1-0 to New Zealand in July last year before losing two of the 4 matches against India at home, with one game being postponed due to Covid cases in the Indian camp. The final match of the series is set to take place in July this year.
England also suffered a 4-0 drubbing in the Ashes and lost the most recent Test series against West Indie as well. A string of losses forced Joe Root to step down from his role as skipper. Post his resignation, England named Ben Stokes, who was Root’s deputy, as England’s new captain.
The decision was an easy one for ECB as barring Stokes, none of the players has a guaranteed place in the team. But can Stokes change the fortunes of the Test team?
Stokes is a player with an aggressive mindset, but he will have to learn the art of being defensive as well, something which is very important to be successful in Test cricket. Also, England will have to find some genuine Test players. The likes of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow are great white-ball players, but they have been found wanting on challenging pitches. They seem to lack the technique and temperament to succeed in Test cricket.
The likes of Haseeb Hameed and Zak Crawley can be groomed. At the moment, England have a lot of issues in the batting and unless they bring in a few Test specialists, England’s fortune will not change anytime soon, even with Stokes at the helm.
England’s bowling has fared better than their batting but they are yet to find apt replacements for James Anderson and Stuart Broad, their best bowlers. They also lack a quality spinner. So England have some big issues to deal with. However, in Stokes, they have a creative leader, who in company with Joe Root, can plan a roadmap for England for the next few years. The fortunes will change for England but it’s a long process and will take some time.
