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Former England Test captain Joe Root has made a surprising revelation regarding Ben Stokes' approach to captaincy. Root stated that Stokes did not heed his advice during Root's tenure as the team's captain. Root assumed the captaincy following Alastair Cook's resignation and led the team from 2017 to 2022 before being succeeded by Stokes. Ahead of the fourth Test against India, Root was questioned about Stokes' workload, particularly after the all-rounder bowled extensively in India's second innings of the Lord's Test. In response, Root jokingly disclosed that Stokes tends not to listen to anyone, including him, even when Root was the captain of the team.
Joe Root on Ben Stokes' workload
The third Test match highlighted the significant physical effort exerted by Ben Stokes, notably his workload with the ball. He bowled a total of 44 overs throughout the match, which included demanding spells of 9.2 and 10 overs on the final day. This was the most number of overs bowled by the 34-year-old in over six years, especially considering he has suffered two serious hamstring injuries within the past year.
"You can try, but it doesn't make any difference. I tried for five years. I mentioned it but he doesn't always listen to me. He didn't listen to me when I was captain!" Root said, as quoted by Times of India.
"That's his call now. It was an incredible effort to be able to do that, but that's just how he's built, I guess. He's just desperate to be the man and make things happen. It's a great sign for us moving forward, it really is, because that's back to his best. He's got that mentality and that desire to win games and we're lucky to have him as our leader," he added.
Ben Stokes played a significant role with the ball in the Test match. In India's first innings, he bowled 20 overs, conceding 63 runs and taking 2 wickets. His contribution was even more notable during India's chase, where he bowled a marathon spell of 24 overs. He conceded only 48 runs in this innings and picked up 3 crucial wickets.
During his extended spell in the second innings, the England captain was instrumental in dismissing key Indian batsmen, including KL Rahul, Akash Deep, and Jasprit Bumrah. Jofra Archer, making his return to Test cricket after four years, also made a significant impact, claiming the wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar. Ultimately, India were bowled out for 170 runs, resulting in a 22-run victory for England.
Looking ahead, the fourth Test of the series is scheduled to be held in Manchester from July 23 to 27. As the Team India now looks ahead to the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, they are confronted by another historical hurdle. In their long and storied Test cricket history, India has never won a match at this venue, having lost four and drawn five of their nine encounters. Their most recent match there in 2014 resulted in a severe defeat under MS Dhoni's captaincy, setting the stage for another chapter in their quest to conquer the seemingly impossible.
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