Ben Stokes is considering defying doctor’s orders with an early return to bowling in a bid to help England save the Test series against India.
Less than a week ago, Stokes categorically ruled out bowling on the tour as he continues his recovery from knee surgery, claiming he had made a “pinky-promise” to his physio.
However, during the Rajkot Test, he trained at 100 per cent intensity for the first time and, with England now trailing 2-1 after a 434-run defeat, did not rule out turning his arm over when the series continues in Ranchi from Friday.
“It’s good he’s getting into a state where he thinks he might bowl,” head coach Brendon McCullum said on Monday.
“But Ben is clever. He won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then he can’t get out of the spell, so let’s see what unfolds.
“If he does get that bit between his teeth, then let’s see where the danger lies there and try and pull him away from it. But it’s a good sign.”
Stokes has not bowled competitively since the Second Ashes Test last June and underwent surgery in November to fix a long-standing knee issue, initially targeting a return to an all-round role by this year’s home summer.
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Asked on Sunday whether he was ready to bowl, however, the 32-year-old said: “I’m not saying yes, I’m not saying no. I have progressed a lot faster than I thought. I’m always very optimistic.
“That will be a more detailed chat with the medical team about what workload I have done to pass me off as not being a massive risk.
“I managed to bowl at 100 per cent in one of the warm-up days here. I felt like I could have bowled in the game, but that would have been stupid.”
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England won the first match of the series, but have since suffered two heavy defeats. “We got outplayed this Test match and that can happen,” McCullum added.
“The margin was huge at the end of it. I don’t think the margins are that big between the two teams. It’s two very good teams going at it and it just didn’t kind of work our way and, hence, we were beaten comprehensively.”
India have lost just four of their last 49 matches in home conditions, with England now facing the daunting task of having to win two on the bounce in order to inflict India’s first series defeat on home soil in more than a decade.
“Too right we can win the series,” McCullum added. “Who knows what the next two Tests have got in front of us.
Too right we can still win this series
England coach Brendon McCullum
“We came back from one-nil against South Africa [in 2022]. Against Australia we were two-nil down in the Ashes and we played our best Test match in the third under the most extreme pressure and extreme outside noise. We came back and it was two-all.
“Our guys are going really good. They are hurting from losing, but there will be no regret about what we’ve done.
“We’ll turn the page and move on to Ranchi and we’ll go quids in again about how we’re going to try to put India under pressure. Hopefully, in seven or eight days we’ll be talking about how exciting it is to be heading into a decider.”