Ben Stokes spent most of the past five months on a cricket hiatus before returning for the Ashes, having focused on his mental health and rehabilitating a finger injury; Joe Root says he expected too much from England’s off-roader in the series opener, given the length of Stokes’s absence.
Joe Root (left) still has full faith in Ben Stokes’ abilities
England captain Joe Root admitted he expected too much from “superhero” Ben Stokes on his return from Ashes last week, but the balance of the team for this week’s Day / Night Test in Adelaide once again depends on his inspiration. all terrain.
Stokes’ efforts at The Gabba were modest by his own high standards, discarded by 5 and 14 on the bat and sending 12 non-wicketless overs with the ball as he struggled with the pace and sharpness of the match.
But put in full context, it is perhaps surprising that he was taking his place. Stokes spent most of the past five months on a cricket hiatus, focusing on his mental health and rehabilitating a troublesome finger injury that at one point left him unable to grip the bat properly.
The final decision on England’s bowling attack for the illuminated match at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday will only be made once they have decided how much of the load it can carry, but Stokes put on a fiery performance on the nets 48 hours.
to show that you mean business.
Bowling for about an hour in the scorching afternoon heat, started out gently but reached an effervescent crescendo that saw him leave several of his teammates bruised. Root endured the worst during an intense spell, struck on the helmet by his vice-captain and requiring an ice pack after being struck on the forearm.
That may have been enough to convince England that Stokes can act as one of the four closers alongside spinner Jack Leach, but a full-throttle attack led by returning James Anderson and Stuart Broad is still possible given Root’s caution. overload your star man.
Speaking before practice, Root said: “It was a big request for Ben last week and I’m probably more guilty than anyone, I expected too much of him because I see him almost as a superhero.
“Look at what he’s done in the last few years when he’s played and at least once a series, maybe twice a series, he’s done something extraordinary that he’s won a single game.
“You get a little complacent waiting for that. It’s easy to forget that on a big occasion like this, either because he didn’t play much or because of what he’s had to go through recently, I think there was a little bit too.
a lot on it.
“But you know the character he is, it will have motivated him even more now to do one of those magical performances. Whether he comes this week or later in the series, I know he’s there. I know he’ll come, it’s just when.”
Root and head coach Chris Silverwood staked their XI for the opener last week, leaving Broad out after it became clear that Anderson was not 100% fit. They received a lot of criticism for that call, even though poor hitting was the cause of their nine-wicket loss.
Now they must hit the exact side as they ponder whether to bring back Broad, as well as Anderson, who will lead the charge. If they both play, two from Mark Wood, Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes and Leach must make way.
More scrutiny awaits, but Root is happy to take him on the chin.
“When you’re captain, you’re in charge and if you can’t take responsibility, you probably shouldn’t be in that position,” he said.
“There are big decisions that you make on behalf of the whole team and you have to be able to take them, otherwise I don’t think it’s fair to the rest of the group. Part of being captain is being able to make that when necessary.” it doesn’t come your way. “
While Root is on his third Down Under tour, and his second in charge, seven of those he led in Brisbane are on their first Ashes road trip. That may have been a contributing factor to his stage fright attack, but expect a more competitive performance next time.
“We’re in the series now. It’s not going to be any more difficult than that first day in Brisbane,” he said. “Especially for the guys who haven’t been here before to experience that and understand what an Ashes series is like in Australia. We know it’s not going to get any more difficult than that so, in that sense, there are no excuses going forward.
“It’s easy for me to say that I stayed on the first slip, but it doesn’t feel as hostile as on previous tours. I remember the first time I came here, fans were trying to abuse me, but we had no names on our backs, so what they just called me ‘gamer’. So I think it was an even greater insult that they didn’t know who I was! “
