Flag-bearer of the new-age England Test side, who are out to change the way the longest format of the game is perceived, captain Ben Stokes vowed to maintain the same mindset against the top-quality Indian side when they face them in the Birmingham Test starting July 1. India are currently 2-1 up in a five-match series following a 157-run win at the Oval but are now set to face a revitalised England side likely to feature only four survivors at most from that match — Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Bairstow and James Anderson — later this week.
This Test match will be treated as the ‘fifth Test’ of the series which was earlier postponed due to Covid-19 issues.
“Regardless of the opposition, we’re still going to have the same mindset,” Stokes told reporters after England won the third Test complete a 3-0 sweep against New Zealand.
The dynamic all-rounder, on a mental health break from cricket at the time of the fourth Test against India, added: “Obviously, it’s going to be a completely different… different opposition, with their attack and players as well.
“We’ll be concentrating on what we’ve done well over these last three games and look to continue that against India on Friday.”
