With the rest of England’s first-choice squad resting in preparation for their departure to India next week, Joe Root requested to be included for the first match of a three-match series. This decision followed a lean performance with the bat during four matches against New Zealand. However, Root’s hopes were dashed as heavy rain prevented the possibility of a 20-over-a-side game at Headingley, his home ground.

Even as the rain subsided, the umpires remained concerned about the saturated outfield and bowlers’ run-ups, ultimately leading to the match’s abandonment. Cricket enthusiasts will have to wait for the next encounter, set to take place at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

England’s journey to defend their World Cup title begins on October 5th in Ahmedabad against New Zealand.

• England scored 368 runs in 48.1 overs (Stokes 182, Malan 96).
• New Zealand managed 187 runs in 39 overs (Phillips 72, Woakes 3/31), resulting in an emphatic 181-run victory for England.

Stokes said, “From a personal point of view, we won the World Cup in 2019, and the closer and closer it got, I started thinking differently around that. Going to India and trying to defend the World Cup was a big reason for saying ‘I’m available for selection if you want to choose me to come.'”

He emphasized England’s strength as a team and their depth of personnel, expressing confidence in their chances. However, he acknowledged that handling the pressure and emotions of a World Cup is crucial for success.

As Ben Stokes readies himself for the World Cup, he aims to contribute to England’s quest for back-to-back titles while managing his knee condition and the aftermath of the Ashes campaign.

While Brook’s Performance in Test Matches Has Been Highly Promising, His Experience in One-Day Internationals is Limited to Just Three Matches for England

Adding Value

“I Believe My Current Form Suggests I Could Contribute Significantly to the Team. There’s Always Room for Improvement,” Brook Asserted

“Limited Opportunities”

Continuing, He Shared, “One-Day Cricket Opportunities, Be It with Yorkshire or England, Have Been Limited. Despite Involvement in Abundant Twenty20 Cricket, I’m Uncertain If I’ve Achieved the Same Level of Success as in the Past Six Months. This Could Have Played a Part.”

Luke Wright, the national selector for the England men’s cricket team, shared his thoughts on the situation. “Any series against New Zealand is closely fought and will provide us with an ideal opportunity to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world. The return of Ben Stokes only adds to that quality with his match-winning ability and leadership,” he said.

Stokes’ decision to rejoin the ODI fold ahead of the Cricket World Cup brings a renewed sense of anticipation and excitement to England’s pursuit of defending their title on the international stage.

The ball looped to England captain Stokes at leg gully, who made a one-handed attempt to grab it above his head. Unfortunately, as he brought his hand down, it accidentally clipped his leg, resulting in a dropped catch. Initially given not out, a review confirmed Stokes’s mistake. At lunch, Smith was 40 not out, while Travis Head remained unbeaten on 31.

Earlier in the day, Chris Woakes made a remarkable contribution by removing Australia’s openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja in a quick and decisive burst. Mark Wood added to the pressure by dismissing Marnus Labuschagne, catching him in the slips. Australia, who had already retained the Ashes with a 2-1 lead, resumed their innings at 135-0, with Warner on 58 and Khawaja on 69.

Stuart Broad, who announced his retirement after the match, also took on the bowling attack, aiming to dismiss Warner for the 18th time in Tests. Woakes, however, made the vital breakthrough by inducing an edge off Warner’s bat, resulting in a catch for wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow. Khawaja followed soon after, being trapped lbw by Woakes. Later, Wood dismissed Labuschagne, and England continued to apply pressure.

If Australia manages to reach the target, it will be the eighth-highest fourth-innings total in any Test and the second-highest in England, behind Australia’s 404-3 at Headingley in 1948. Additionally, it will set a new ground record for the highest successful fourth-innings chase at The Oval, surpassing England’s 263-9 against Australia in 1902.

In 2022, England’s red-ball captain Ben Stokes made the decision to retire from One Day Internationals (ODIs) to manage his workload. Although there was speculation that he might consider a return ahead of the ODI World Cup scheduled to begin on October 5 in India, Stokes has firmly denied such possibilities.

As a key player for England, Stokes played a pivotal role in their victories at the 2019 ODI World Cup and the 2022 T20 World Cup, and his presence would have undoubtedly bolstered England’s chances in the 2023 mega event. However, the all-rounder has clarified that he has no intentions of coming out of ODI retirement and plans to go on a holiday after the Ashes.

“I’m retired. I’m going on holiday after this game [fifth Ashes Test] and that’s as far as I’m thinking,” Stokes stated, as quoted by ICC.

Stokes also acknowledged his current limitations as an all-rounder due to a long-standing knee issue, which has prevented him from bowling in the ongoing Ashes series since the second Test. Post-Ashes, he plans to engage in serious discussions with medical professionals to find a resolution and regain his ability to bowl without concerns about his knee.

“It’s something I obviously want to get sorted. The times in which I’ve seen specialists and stuff like that there has been cricket around. So, as it’s been manageable, we’ve just cracked on. But I think that is a good time to have some serious conversations with medics around what is potentially something I could do to get a role in which I can bowl without having to worry about my knee. Those are conversations we will be able to have in that time off,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Stokes expressed his ambition to win the Ashes in Australia in 2025. Despite not being able to clinch the series at home this year, he remains hopeful for the next encounter in Australia.

“I mean obviously how this series has gone and how close we were it does make you think when we go to Australia do we have a better chance than the last few times we’ve been there? Hopefully, it’d be nice to go out to Australia in 2025 and have a good chance of winning. It would be nice to say I’ve won it twice. There’s obviously a lot of cricket that’s played around the Ashes as well, but we’ll just see when 2025 comes around,” Stokes revealed.