England could not be more welcome: the walls of the team hotel are covered with posters of their recent successes under Ben Stokes. One read: “Let’s reveal victory!” he is writing. – A sort of reverse origami that, if the skipper is successful in his 100th Test, will lead to a 2-1 lead over India with two more to play.
There is also the fact that Rehan Ahmed, one of the 30-member touring party, could easily have been turned away from the under-construction Rajkot Airport on Monday evening. Returning from the team’s mid-tour break in Abu Dhabi, the leg-spinner unknowingly hit the tarmac with an expired single-entry visa for leaving the country.
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This oversight, which the England board deemed rather shoddy given the issues surrounding Shoaib Bashir’s delayed arrival in India last month, could have been costly for the team, which lost Jack Leach to injury. Instead, immigration officials in the Gujarati city where Mahatma Gandhi studied opted for charity.
There is still the small issue of converting Ahmed’s 48-hour temporary document into a new visa, but two days after the third Test begins on Thursday, there have been positive voices from both boards. Perhaps the fact that Rajkot is twinned with Leicester, where the 19-year-old is involved in county cricket, could help his case.
Stokes appeared unconcerned about the situation on the eve of becoming the 16th player to earn 100 England caps. Even that milestone, when Stuart Broad joined the club in 2016, was one he didn’t talk much about; Beyond showing longevity, Stokes insisted this was just “one more than 99” and there was still more to achieve.
Still, it’s a reminder of how much he’s developed from the fiery man who emerged from the wreckage of the 2013-14 Ashes and, with a few setbacks along the way, has now built a team in his own image. (Equally, Rajkot is a reminder that nothing is certain in cricket; this is where Haseeb Hameed made a dazzling debut seven years ago, with predictions of him making 100 caps.)
It cannot be said that Stokes has thought beyond his playing days and has expressed a desire to remain as a cricket coach. Given his influence as a captain, at least instilling confidence in young players to step up is something English cricket would do well to avoid letting slide, say, like a single-entry visa on an in-and-out tour. of India.
In the here and now, this five-game series is intriguingly balanced; England took the lead in Hyderabad but fell behind in Visakhapatnam. Rajkot, hosting the third Test, could be a place where the mantra of taking the toss off the table, as Stokes reiterated on Tuesday, is tested on a surface that remains traditionally true.
All eyes were on the field and there was a hint of green that may or may not remain. Six centuries came in the equivalent match in 2016; A six-out draw followed with India after Alastair Cook set a cautious target of 311 in a minimum of 49 overs. The then India captain Virat Kohli blamed the exposed turf for the lack of breaking of the surface.
“I remember coming off the field thinking ‘we’ve got them’ and then we lost four nil,” Stokes said, recalling the stalemate with a wry smile. “In situations like this, if you want to achieve something, you have to risk something. I don’t really enjoy being together. “I’d rather lose trying to win.”
Apart from needing to win what looks like a crucial toss, as well as the small matter of negotiating with Jasprit Bumrah and finding a way to subdue the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal, England will probably not need to push things forward and open up the back end of the match. just collective aggression but the hunger of individuals when adjusted.
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Of England’s 15 Test victories in India, all but three were based on at least a century. A performance like the second Test of this series, where Zak Crawley top-scored with 76 and 73 in both innings and the rest of England’s batsmen produced 11 between 20 and 47, is unlikely to cut it.
Stokes was considering recalling spinner Mark Wood while Rohit Sharma was considering making four changes to the winning XI. Sarfaraz Khan, who averages 69.85 in first-class cricket, is set to make his debut, while Dhruv Jurel is also behind. Although his glovework is excellent, KS Bharat’s poor form with the bat is responsible for the latter. Among the bowlers, Mohammed Siraj returns from rest, while Ravindra Jadeja is expected to play in the home field with his fingers crossed and holding his injured knee.
All of this carries the risk of the home team appearing to be on the run; In reality, even though Kohli has been eliminated from the series, they still go into the match as favourites. England may be made to feel welcome on their return to the country, and much of the focus is on Stokes, but they are unlikely to be passed over easily.