IND vs ENG 2022: 3 ways India can dismiss Ben Stokes early
England, led by Ben Stokes, will be coming into the the rescheduled fifth Test against India on a high after whitewashing New Zealand in a three-match series. Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum have reignited this England side with their all-guns blazing approach, heading into this one-off Test with a huge boost.
While Joe Root's never-ending sensational run continues, the likes of Ollie Pope and Jonny Bairstow have also found their groove. With a settled middle-order, Ben Stokes will continue to bat at number six, as stated when he took over the captaincy.
The England captain has scored 523 runs in eight Test matches this year, including a century and three half-centuries. Usually batting with an aggressive mindset, he was leading by example in the previous series.
Needless to say, India will need to be wary of a batter like Stokes, who could take the game away in a session or two. In the build-up to the Test, we take a look at three ways India can dismiss the Durham all-rounder early on in his innings.
#1 The pacers should use the angle from round the wicket
The right-arm pacer coming round the wicket is a tactic New Zealand quick Tim Southee has utilized successfully against Ben Stokes in recent times. Even in the recently concluded Test series, Southee managed to successfully pull off the same ploy.
The basic idea is to cramp the southpaw batter for room as much as possible. More often than not, Stokes looks to take on or have a poke at the short ball. That often lands him in trouble, either nicking it behind or chopping it onto his stumps.
#2 The Ravichandran Ashwin factor vs Ben Stokes
The pitches at Edgbaston are mostly batting-friendly but do tend to have something for the fast bowlers. Throughout the series last year, India utilized four pace bowlers with an all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja, meaning Ravichandran Ashwin had to miss out.
It's unlikely that India will tinker with a winning combination unless forced to do so. However, they might be tempted to give the crafty off-spinner a go, especially looking at his head-to-head record against Ben Stokes.
Ashwin has got the better of the England captain on 11 occasions with the batter averaging a mere 19.5 against the spinner. Should the Indian team opt to play Ashwin, they will be counting on him to get the better of Stokes again.
#3 India should be prepared to fight fire with fire
Ever since taking over the captaincy, Ben Stokes has evidently made his approach clear to one and all. The England captain will be leaving no stone unturned to put his opposition bowlers under pressure, putting on display all sorts of pyrotechnics.
The best way the visitors can respond is to fight fire with fire. Jasprit Bumrah could be the key here, with a bag of variations under his belt. We've seen him utilize the slower ball effectively in the longest format, outfoxing Ollie Robinson with a similar delivery in the series last year.
The visitors might also have to be brave enough to dangle a carrot if the pitch has a bit of purchase, even if it comes at a cost of a few runs. In his ultra-aggressive approach, Stokes could be induced into a false stroke, as he was against Michael Bracewell in the second Test against New Zealand.