Ben Stokes' place in third T20I not guaranteed, says Eoin Morgan
Having endured an eight-wicket thumping at the hands of Virat Kohli's men, the English side did its homework and returned in style, claiming a series-levelling five-wicket win in the second T20I of the series.
For captain Eoin Morgan, however, the third T20I brings along with it a happy headache.
All-rounder Benjamin Stokes is fit and available for selection, having proved his match fitness with a 68-ball 90 for Durham against Yorkshire in the ongoing NatWest T20 Blast. He had earlier missed the ODI series against Australia due to injury.
“He comes into the squad for the next game and he is a fantastic player and it will be a difficult decision to make,” Morgan told reporters after the second T20I.
“We have made calls like this in the past and we will make the call for the benefit of the team and put out our strongest XI", he added.
Alex Hales had previously admitted that his place might not be safe after Stokes returns. Under fire after scoring just eight in the first T20I, he guided England to a five-wicket win in the game that followed, compiling an assured 58 and staying put at one end, even though his side's top-order suffered a collapse of sorts.
Morgan also hailed Hales for his exceptional batting in the second T20I, that helped his side usurp India's sub-par total of 148 with two balls to spare.
“Alex always makes it difficult particularly in T20 cricket. He has played a lot of T20 for us and he is a very experienced campaigner. An innings like that gives him a pretty strong case for the next game. He really did play brilliantly. He has played a lot international T20 cricket and he has played a lot around the world. It was a mature innings", Morgan said.
Incidentally, Stokes' last T20I was way back in February 2017, also against India. He has already been recalled to the ODI set-up for the series that follows.