India vs England 2021: “I’ve not changed too much” – Ben Stokes speaks on batting at No. 3


India vs England 2021: “I’ve not changed too much” – Ben Stokes speaks on batting at No. 3

Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes was the pick of the bowlers for England in the first ODI against India in Pune. The all-rounder was the one who provided the first breakthrough by removing Rohit Sharma. He then removed Shikhar Dhawan while the opener was on 98 and then went on to pick up the crucial wicket of Hardik Pandya. However, he wasn’t able to replicate his heroics while batting as he fell for just 1 run to debutant Prasidh Krishna.

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Stokes was tasked with batting at No. 3 and filling in for Joe Root who wasn’t picked in the squad as a part of England’s rotation policy. The 29-year-old was however, unable to perform well while it mattered as his 1-run knock came off a painful 11 balls that saw him knock the ball around without rotating the strike. Stokes spoke about his batting form ahead of the second ODI against India at a virtual press conference today.

Ben Stokes speaks on his batting form

Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes celebrates a wicket during the first ODI

Ben Stokes spoke about batting at No. 3 and said, “It is a slightly different role batting at number three than my normal five or six position in this team. Potentially, you will be facing 100 balls compared to maybe 50-60 balls like I normally do. So, I’ve not changed too much.”

“It was my first game since the World Cup final, great to be back out there and play some ODI cricket. There’s gonna be a talk about whoever is gonna fill that place at number three with Root not being here. There is always gonna be a discussion about it but people keep talking and I’ll just go out and try to do what I’ve been asked to do,” he added.

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Speaking of the first ODI loss, “Disappointed with how things ended up last game, we know we are a much better team than that. We are very good at putting previous games to bed quickly whether that be a successful game or a poor game. All our concentration will be on tomorrow,” Stokes said.

Stokes was then asked a cheeky question as to which kind of Virat Kohli he liked – the nice or the niggly. The all-rounder replied, “The one that does not score runs.

The second ODI begins tomorrow at 1:30 PM IST at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

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