Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, is optimistic about Captain Ben Stokes playing in the upcoming first Test against India in Hyderabad. McCullum expressed confidence in Stokes’ fitness during training, stating that he feels the all-rounder is ready to go.
Stokes had knee surgery, causing him to miss several matches in the 2023 World Cup. Consequently, the New Zealand-born cricketer had a challenging rehabilitation timeline to prepare for the series’ opening Test.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, January 22, McCullum indicated they would keep monitoring the captain’s progress before making a last-minute decision. Quoted by BBC, he mentioned:
“He looks like a greyhound. He’s put the work in, everyone knows his work ethic is phenomenal. I’ve seen him running around and I think he’s good to go. We’ll obviously make that call as late as what we need to. But he’s put all the work in, and we’ll just have to wait and see.”
The 42-year-old also addressed Harry Brook’s departure, expressing support as he returned to his family during a challenging period. McCullum suggested a possible return for Brook later in the series.
“Obviously our thoughts are with Harry and his family, it’s a tough time. It’s a privileged position to play cricket for a living but some things are more important than that.”
“We wish him all the best and hopefully the next little period for Brooky is as comfortable as it possibly can be. There’s a chance he may return later in the tour but for now we just want him to be with his family and do his thing.”
The visiting team will feel the absence of Brook in the middle order, considering his outstanding performance in the 2022 series in Pakistan. The board confirmed Dan Lawrence as his replacement.
“Our approaches will face challenges” – Brendon McCullum
McCullum anticipates the series will genuinely examine their abilities and mental strength against a formidable Indian team playing on their home turf. He remarked:
“That’s what I love about this series – we are going to be tested, and our methods are going to be challenged and we’ll see where we are at.”
“In the end, all you’re trying to do is get guys in the frame of mind where they’re totally present in the moment, they feel 10 foot tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play.”
“Then it’s allowing their skills and their talents to come out, make quick assessments of what they need to do in the moment.”
The 101-Test veteran added:
“We’ve got to take 20 wickets with the ball in each Test match and we’ve got to get one more run than them with the bat. It’s not rocket science but it will be the nuances of the game, when to stick and when to twist which will be the fascinating part.”
In their past two tours of India, England secured victory in just one Test.
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