England coach Brendon McCullum admitted that Ben Stokes being open to returning to his all-rounder role in the final two Tests against India is a good sign for the tourists. However, McCullum doesn’t expect Stokes to put his hand up for long spells unless he’s confident that his body can withstand the demands of bowling in the challenging conditions encountered on the subcontinent.

Stokes has refrained from bowling in the initial three Tests on the subcontinent, focusing on recuperating from a knee operation last year. His absence as a bowler has been noticeable, particularly as India secured victory in two consecutive Tests, leading 2-1 in the five-match series.

McCullum stated that a decision regarding Stokes’ availability for bowling and the composition of the final XI would be deferred until the team can assess the conditions in Ranchi. He emphasized that all members of the traveling squad would be considered for selection.

“We’ve got two really good options on the sideline as well with Ollie Robinson and Gus Atkinson,” McCullum posed.

“So we’ve got a really good squad to pick from. We just need to work out when we get there what conditions we’re going to be confronted with and see the health of the army, and then make a decision on what we go with.

“Obviously we haven’t seen the conditions in Ranchi yet. I think it might spin. I guess it should spin but we’ll see when we get there. But, look, we’re really comfortable with what we’ve got and we’re certainly not going to add to the squad.

“We’ve got a group of players here who have played some outstanding cricket so far over the last three Test matches and whatever XI we decide to go with we will fully back. Hopefully we’ll be in a different situation to what we’re in now.”

England’s back-to-back defeats have resulted in them dropping to eighth place in the World Test Championship standings. Stokes and his team must aim to redeem themselves in the remaining two matches in India if they harbor hopes of staying competitive for a spot in next year’s final at Lord’s.

“Well, it’s good that he’s actually getting into a state where he thinks he might bowl. But Ben is clever; he’s really clever as well. He won’t bowl unless he thinks he’s legitimately able to bowl. The problem would be if he starts getting into a spell and then he can’t get out of the spell. So we’ll see what unfolds,” McCullum said.

“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.”

Having Stokes available as a bowler would enable England to field a more well-rounded XI for the pivotal fourth Test, set to begin on Friday. In the first two Tests, England relied on only one seamer alongside four spinners, including Joe Root. However, for the third Test, they opted to drop Shoaib Bashir and include both James Anderson and Mark Wood.

England Test squad: Ben Stokes (c), Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Mark Wood

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