English red-ball skipper Ben Stokes conveyed belief in his team’s ability to chase in Test matches. England will take on the Shubman Gill-led side at Edgbaston in the second Test of the five-match series from July 2, having taken a 1-0 lead with a win in Headingley.
Stokes reflected that while it was a brilliant effort to chase down 371 in the first Test, England will take things one at a time and start from scratch if the need arises to hunt down another sizeable total.
“We’re confident in our abilities to be able to go out and chase when we have to bat in the fourth innings. That obviously comes from a lot of good experiences over the last three or four years. So, going out there in the fourth innings, you’re naturally confident. Still, 370 [371 in Headingley] is a lot of runs, and we knew we had to play very, very well to get close. So, [there is] even more confidence from last week, but this week is a new game. We start from zero again,” stated Stokes while addressing the media on the eve of the second Test of the ongoing five-match series against India
One aspect Stokes was pleased about was his ability to bowl long spells at a consistent speed. He had bowled a total of 35 overs and picked up five wickets in the first game at a reasonably decent economy rate.
“I did everything possible to not worry about anything outside of what we normally worry about. But coming out of that game, feeling good in all of my spells, rhythm-wise, being able to have spells throughout the day, it’s all coming out nicely. I managed to maintain my pace, which was one of the things I wanted to concentrate on”, added Stokes.
The 371 runs England chased down was the second-highest by them in Tests, second-highest against India, and the third chase of 350-plus at Headingley. Stokes’ remarks made it clear that England will continue to be relentless in their batting approach while chasing any sort of target.
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