England captain Ben Stokes showered praise on the emerging talents from both the England and Indian teams for their exceptional performances in the Ranchi Test match, despite England facing a five-wicket defeat. Among the standout players, England's Shoaib Bashir made headlines by securing his first-ever five-wicket haul in his debut Test series, showcasing his potential against a formidable Indian batting lineup.
Dhruv Jurel impresses in India jersey
On the Indian side, Dhruv Jurel was the hero of the moment, delivering crucial innings that played a pivotal role in India's strategy. Jurel's remarkable score of 90 in the first innings was instrumental in steering India away from a potential collapse, and his unbeaten 39 in the final innings was key in chasing down a challenging target of 192.
"I mean, look, that's just the way I am a person. That's the way I'm captain. It's allowing, you know, these young guys to come into you know, pretty intimidating situation in test cricket against India who are incredibly hard to come out here and play against. Just allowing the freedom to run up and treat every ball is an occasion, rather than thinking about something that's already happening, can't be changed," Stokes said in the post-match presentation.
Stokes believes Test cricket's future is great
Stokes expressed his admiration for the performance of these young players throughout the series, highlighting their significant contributions to their respective teams. He underscored his optimism for the future of Test cricket, suggesting that the impressive showing by the youngsters in this series is a promising indicator of the sport's bright prospects.
"You know, I think so far the series really has a lot of talent, not only for us, but also for India. I am a massive Test cricket fan, I love Test cricket and I think on both sides we've seen some young, inexperienced players come out. I think the future is great for Test cricket," Stokes further added.
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