XtraTime Web Desk: England have recalled it’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes for the third test at Trent Bridge in place of young Sam Curran, confirmed home captain Joe Root.
The lanky all-rounder joined the team after the Bristol Court on Tuesday conveyed their decision that Stokes isn’t guilty for the charge for affray.
“It was one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as captain,” said Root on Friday. “It’s about us as a squad delivering over five games and on this occasion Sam is unfortunate to miss out.
“[Ben] is just desperate to get back playing cricket, make that his main focus moving forward. I sat him down yesterday and asked him where he’s at and he told me he’s desperate to get out there. He wants to put in performances and concentrate on his cricket now. He felt he was ready to play. We assessed his fitness as well and made that call.”
Sam Curran may be a bit sad after knowing this decision as he took four wickets and scored a match-winning half-century in the first test against India.
“I think the difficult part is the fact that everyone is performing so well,” Root added. “I think some people would see that as the easy option to leave Sam out but he’s offered so much to this bowling group and at the start of the series I said to the team for us to win a five-match series against the best side in the world it’s going to take more than just 11 players.
“What he’s done so far has been nothing short of high class, so that’s a testament to how well we’ve been playing and is a really good sign for this group moving forward.”