“We know we need to win this Test to draw the series from a year ago. “If there’s a team that can, it’s us,” replied Stokes, boldly, when asked whether it is possible for his side to go harder still. There is a missionary zeal about the 31-year-old at present, evidenced by his decision to drop out of the Indian Premier League and plough his energies into the Test side, and this means continuing the breakneck approach seen during their 3-0 win over New Zealand against fresh opposition. The all-rounder is keen to level the series, naturally, but his goal, he claimed, is far greater than one match and one result. Stokes was not even around last summer, taking a break for mental health reasons, and his presence was missed during a spiky encounter that nearly boiled over in the Long Room on the third day at Lord’s. The fast bowler – India’s irresistible game-breaker at the Oval – was buzzing at the prospect on Thursday, having never previously led a side at any level.Įngland are similarly a different beast, ever since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum came in as captain and head coach and sent a fresh wave of adventure coursing through the dressing room. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma formed a dominant opening partnership that schooled England but are now missing through injury and Covid-19 respectively, with Jasprit Bumrah stepping up as captain in the absence of the latter. Virat Kohli, whose midnight email to the BCCI on the eve of the original fixture sealed its fate, is no longer India captain, and Ravi Shastri, the head coach, will be giving his inimitable take from the commentary box. Win or draw and it will be a first series victory in England since 2007, filed alongside their away triumphs in Australia in 2018-21.Īnd yet an asterisk will inevitably sit alongside the final scoreline, its place in history a curio, because so much has changed since. They left these shores the superior side, their performances at Lord’s and the Oval nothing short of ferocious. India’s arrival is always a big deal but framing this series decider is not straightforward.
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