Ahead of the 1st Test, Ben Stokes Warns India of England's 'Weapon'
The captain of the England cricket team, Ben Stokes, on Tuesday, rated Mark Wood as an "impact builder" with high pace after they decided to enter the first Test against India, starting in Hyderabad on Thursday, with a solitary fast bowler and three spinners. Wood was preferred over veteran James Anderson for this match, and Stokes said the Durham man's ability to touch 150 clicks tilted the scales in his favour.
During his pre-match press conference, Stokes said, "Obviously, what he brings with his high pace... he is a real impact builder. Bowling 90 miles an hour with a reversing ball is obviously going to be very difficult to play against.
"He's another weapon that you can use out here with short, sharp spells, wanting him to be bowling as fast as he can and for short periods. There're no worries about these long spells because that's how we're going to use him this week.”
So, how did the team management handle the situation of looking over a highly experienced bowler like Anderson? Stokes said Anderson has taken the whole episode quite professionally.
"Jimmy's an incredible professional. You never know how conditions might change or what you might feel is the best setup for your team.
Stokes added, “But now we're not looking at having to manage Jimmy or his workloads or anything like that. You know, we put him in the spot because we think he's one of the best performers.”
However, he asserted that he would not bowl in the series. The premier all-rounder is still recuperating from knee surgery.