England Test captain Ben Stokes praised Joe Root’s bowling performance in the opening Test of the five-match series against India ahead of the second game in Vizag. The England skipper hailed Root for his outstanding all-around performance for the team in the longer format of the game.
Joe Root displayed his exceptional bowling skills in the first Test, taking five crucial wickets across both innings. The off-spinner picked up four wickets in the first innings, being the top-wicket taker for the side. He also took KL Rahul’s crucial wicket in the second innings. The recent encounter at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium saw the Ben Stokes-led squad win by 28 runs.
Speaking ahead of the second Test, England captain Ben Stokes jokingly claimed the credit for turning Joe Root into a bowler and emphasized the importance of Root’s bowling ability, in addition to his batting prowess, to the team.
“I did always say to Joe I thought he under-bowled himself as captain, and when he walked off with four-fer I did say to him, ‘see, I told ya I’d make a bowler out of ya’,”
“Having someone like that out here who is not only someone to throw the ball to and change the pace of the game up – he’s bowled me lots of overs, Joe has – then having him batting at four and the runs he’s scored and how important he is to us.
“To also have the benefit of Joe’s bowling out here is obviously massive. I’m surprised he’s not actually mentioned he’s nipped above me, but I think we’re just two people who don’t really care about stuff like that,” Ben Stokes said.
Although Joe Root is one of the most successful batsmen of this decade, he has a tendency to pick up crucial wickets with the ball, especially in sub-continental conditions. The veteran has claimed 65 Test wickets in 137 appearances, including a five-wicket haul on England’s 2020/21 tour of India.
James Anderson Has Different Skillsets That I Will Be Able To Exploit In Indian Conditions – Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes praised James Anderson’s exceptional performance in India and recognized the various skill sets he brings to the bowling attack. Stokes emphasized Anderson’s value to the team, even when not actively participating.
“Bringing Jimmy’s experience, the class that he has is great and I think it also goes under the radar how good his record in India is. Considering what Jimmy is going for – ‘the swing king’ and all that – it just proves how good a bowler he is. He has different skill sets that I will be able to exploit in Indian conditions,” Ben Stokes concluded.
James Anderson made a comeback to the England starting XI for the second Test, and his experience in playing on hard subcontinent tours has been invaluable. He played a crucial role in England’s historic series win in India during the 2012 tour, which still stands as the Men in Blue’s last red-ball series defeat on their own turf.