NASSER HUSSAIN: Ben Stokes has to face it if he can’t bowl in an Ashes Test. He MUST tell England to change their side’s balance but that’s a pain…he’s two cricketers and with the captain he’ll be three
Things looked a lot more positive for Ben Stokes and his damaged left knee until the catch against Ireland on Saturday saw him hobbled again.
He looked as good in the outfield as I’ve seen him in a long time and I watched him bowl for about 20 minutes before playing when he seemed pain free.
Stokes did a lot of fitness during the IPL to prepare for the Ashes and playing only two games in India seemed to have pleased him.
But it seems moving sideways is what caused the problem with his knee and the first concern came on the third day at Lord’s when he dove and moved gingerly after that. Then he got into that position while catching Curtis Campher, which obviously hit him.
Then he looked like the Ben Stokes we’ve seen in the field for the last 18 months. But that Ben Stokes has still been able to bowl, been something of an all-rounder and has now led England to 11 wins in 13 Tests.
Ben Stokes has now won 11 of 13 Test matches as England Cricket captain after his side’s 10-wicket win against Ireland on Saturday
Stokes appeared to feel some discomfort during the game after stretching for a flyout
Stokes (first from right) has been battling a knee injury this season and has been working hard throughout the IPL season to get fit for this summer’s Ashes series
So my feeling is that next week at Edgbaston he will perform as he has for some time – Stokes will bowl if he has to.
That’s what he did in Pakistan last winter, when he waited for the ball to swing backwards before bowling, and that’s what I believe he will do in five Ashes Tests in the space of six and a half weeks.
That to me is a better option than England screwing up and leaving Jack Leach out and playing Joe Root as a spinner.
Or let a batter out and Stokes himself move up the order. England must stick to the plan that has been so successful for them.
Stokes has to be honest. If he can’t bowl in a Test, he’ll have to tell England and then maybe they’ll have to change the balance of the game.
Jack Leach took four wickets in the test match against Ireland in both innings
Meanwhile, Joe Root surpassed a record 11,000 test runs after scoring 56 in the first innings
But that becomes incredibly tricky because Stokes is two cricketers and with the captain he is now three cricketers.
The captain hasn’t bowled or even angrily batted in red-ball cricket in the run-up to the Ashes, but you feel that neither he nor England will care.
In my day I would have gone against Ireland on Friday to score Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow and Stokes himself, as England had four days to win.
But they just didn’t see it that way. And their way works extremely well for them.