<p>Many who follow cricket have been wondering when spinner Ben Stokes would return as England attempts to recover from their defeat in Rajkot. Although Stokes is an all-round player by profession and has the capacity to take wickets, he has not bowled since suffering a knee injury.</p>
<p><img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-422800″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/theindiaprint.com-ben-stokes-is-optimistic-about-his-return-to-bowling-duties-ahead-of-the-fourth-te.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com ben stokes is optimistic about his return to bowling duties ahead of the fourth te” width=”1004″ height=”669″ title=”Ben Stokes is "optimistic" about his return to bowling duties ahead of the fourth test at Ranchi. "Not Saying Yes, But Not Saying No." 3″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/theindiaprint.com-ben-stokes-is-optimistic-about-his-return-to-bowling-duties-ahead-of-the-fourth-te.jpg 510w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/theindiaprint.com-ben-stokes-is-optimistic-about-his-return-to-bowling-duties-ahead-of-the-fourth-te-150×100.jpg 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 1004px) 100vw, 1004px” /></p>
<p>The captain quietly made a suggestion that he is getting closer and closer to being well enough to play fast bowling again. Stokes said, “I’m not saying yes, I’m not saying no,” in response to a query on whether he would bowl for England again.</p>
<p>The last time Stokes bowled was in the second Test at Lord’s in the Ashes in 2023. He hasn’t been able to bowl for his team in the longest format since then.</p>
<p>“Being myself, I’m usually rather upbeat about most things. That will include a more thorough discussion regarding my workload with the medical staff in order to convince them that I don’t pose a serious danger, according to Stokes.</p>
<p>In addition, he demonstrated the depth of his bowling fitness by stating that he could bowl on warm-up days.</p>
<p>“On one of these warm-up days, I was able to bowl at 100%, which gave me a nice feeling. Stokes said, “I felt like I could have bowled in the game, but that would have been stupid.”</p>
<p>Brendon McCullum, the England Test team’s head coach, is still focused on the next Test at Ranchi and thinks his existing players would be more than sufficient to complete the task. McCullum emphasized that they assess the playing field conditions as well as the health of their players prior to selecting their starting lineup.</p>
<p>We thus have a tremendously strong roster to choose from. We merely need to assess the health of the army and determine the circumstances we’ll face when we arrive before deciding what to do,” McCullum said.</p>
<p>The captain’s improved fitness has not disappointed the coach, but he does not think Stokes would take up the ball until he is certain he can bowl as well as possible.</p>
<p>It’s encouraging that he’s at a point where he considers bowling, McCullum said. However, Ben is also intelligent; he is smart. If he doesn’t believe he can bowl legitimately, he won’t bowl. McCullum said, “The issue would arise if he started falling under a spell and was unable to break free from it.</p>
<p>Rather than expose his skipper to yet another injury, McCullum is still concentrating on assessing Ben Stokes’ health and ensuring he is prepared to handle the effort of bowling in the Indian conditions.</p>
<p>In the event that he does get that bit between his teeth, let’s attempt to get him away from it and assess where the risk is. However, it’s encouraging,” McCullum said.</p>
