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England captain Ben Stokes joked he and coach Brendon McCullum don’t go together with ‘brains’ at the toss for the second Test against India.
England head coach Brendon McCullum, captain Ben Stokes, coach Tim Southee and Ollie Pope during a nets session (AP)
England skipper joked that he and head coach Brendon McCullum don’t exactly go together with ‘brains’ at the toss ahead of the second Test at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Wednesday.
At the toss, Stokes was asked for a reaction to many pundits calling their run chase in the previous match as Bazball with brains, which prompted him to cheekily remark that he, Brendon and brains don’t go together.
“Brains and me and Baz are not three things you put together,” Stokes said.
“Great run chase, great Test to be part of great start to the series. Last week is last week, need to concentrate on this week,” he added.
India Vs England: 2nd Test, Day 1 – Live Score
What Did Stokes Say At The Toss?
Ben Stokes announced that they would bowl first, citing favourable overhead conditions. He highlighted the team’s strong performance last week and their resulting confidence. Stokes mentioned that understanding and adapting to conditions improve as a Test progresses.
“We’re going to bowl. Overhead conditions favour it. Did consider everything,” Stokes said.
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When asked about having Jofra Archer in the squad, he noted that although everyone wanted the pacer in the team, they’ll prioritise his well-being since he’s returning after a long break.
“Very good team performance last week, we’re confident. You understand the conditions better as you go deeper into the Test,” he added.
England had named an unchanged team for the second Test against India, which begins on July 2, with fast bowler Jofra Archer still sidelined.
The England and Wales Cricket Board retained the lineup that got a five-wicket win at Headingley, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
Archer, who was added to the Test squad last week for the first time since 2021, missed training on Monday due to a family emergency, according to British media reports. The 30-year-old rejoined the squad on Tuesday.
England Playing XI for 2nd Test vs India
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
(With inputs from Agencies)
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha…Read More
Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes on cricket content, ha… Read More
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