On Thursday, February 15, England captain Ben Stokes is scheduled to play his historic 100th Test match in Rajkot. Prior to that, the 32-year-old made it quite evident that he didn’t give milestones much thought, as the all-rounder thinks it won’t really matter if he plays in the 100th Test match.
The cricketer, who was born in Christchurch, made it clear that he doesn’t want to come out as ungrateful for the chances that have come his way. The renowned all-rounder clarified, though, that every red-ball cricket match he plays is crucial and that the 100th Test is “just a number.”
“Every test has the same weight as the subsequent ones. The next one is simply one more, which will be number 101. It’s a symbol of longevity, but whether it’s 99, 100, or 101 doesn’t really matter. The Durham man remarked, “It’s just a number.” The BBC cited Ben Stokes as stating, “I don’t want it to sound like I’m not thankful for the opportunities I’ve had, but with milestones, it’s not done until it’s done.”
Notably, in Adelaide in 2013, Stokes made his Test debut against Australia. Though he was unable to take full advantage of the opportunity during his debut, the southpaw hammered 120 runs in the second innings in his second Test match in Perth. Since then, he has contributed a number of crucial hits to Test cricket matches, perhaps the most notable of which being Headingley. He scored 135* runs against Australia, England’s bitterest opponents, to lead England to one of their most memorable Test triumphs in history.
An update on Ben Stokes’ bowling fitness was provided.
The England captain suffered a knee injury shortly after the ODI World Cup finished. Though he is not yet healthy enough to play as a normal all-rounder, he is getting ready for the English summer to come. Regarding the same, the Durham all-rounder stated that, although it totally relies on his body, he is not far from bowling.
It happens now, small and often. We don’t have a strategy for where my intensity will go. Not getting too far ahead, but it’s exactly how I feel right now. This was another improvement, but the rest of my body needs to catch up to bowling,” Ben Stokes said.
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