Brendon McCullum gives clear answer on chances of Ben Stokes bowling against India in 4th Test

England have lost back-to-back matches in the 5-match series against India after tasting success in the opening game. The upcoming 4th Test in Ranchi will be a must-win game for the visitors to stay alive in the series. For the Indians, they are just one win away from sealing the series completely. Only time will tell whether the Indians will dominate the Poms at home once again or will the England team manage to make another comeback.

Throughout the series, we have seen some great performances, but there have been some players who are yet to come make a mark in the series. Though Joe Root has not been at his best, England skipper Ben Stokes's form also comes into question. Stokes has only managed 190 runs in 3 games and has been playing as a proper batter since he is still recovering from the knee surgery that has prevented him from bowling.

Is Stokes bowling in the 4th Test?

The last time Stokes bowled in a Test match was in the last Ashes series. He was suffering through a serious knee injury which caused a lot of damage. But recently Stokes has been showing signs of bowling in the upcoming Test match stating “ I'm not saying yes, I'm not saying no. Me being me, I'm always very optimistic about most things.”  Stokes also mentioned that he has approached his medical team on this matter as well and has been bowling well in the warm-ups as well.

Even England’s head coach Brendon McCullum has given his opinion on his bowling stating “ Well, it's good that he's getting into a state where he thinks he might bowl, But Ben is clever; he's clever as well. He won't bowl unless he thinks he's legitimately able to bowl.” McCullum ended his statement by saying that the danger lies if he finds out that once he gets into his spell he cannot get out of it.