- By Gurmeet Batra
- Thu, 19 Jun 2025 04:30 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
IND vs ENG: With less than a day off from the start of a fast-paced thrilling summer of English Test cricket, Shubman Gill-led revamped India will take on England in a gruelling five-match series.
Ahead of the series opener at Leeds, England Test captain Ben Stokes has thrown down the gauntlet to the Indian team, issuing a bold challenge, stating that his team does not fear pace ace Jasprit Bumrah.
With questions surrounding Bumrah, widely regarded as the world's best pace bowler, creating his magic in English conditions, captain Stokes was unmistakable in his reply, stating that the possibility of encountering a rampant Bumrah carried no fear for his team.
“No fear. In international cricket, you come up against quality opposition all the time. We know his class and what he brings to any team he plays for, but in terms of fear, definitely not," Stokes said ahead of the 1st Test match in Headingley.
“I don’t think one bowler alone is going to win the series for either team. All 11 [players] have to stand up. I don’t think there is just one person in either team holding the key to success,” the England captain concluded.
Earlier, England captain also said not getting to face a foe like India's batting maestro Virat Kohli in a Test series is a "shame."
Kohli bid adieu from the game's traditional format last month, few days after his longtime India teammate Rohit Sharma decided to call it a day, leaving the BCCI to send a team in transition to the UK under the leadership of Shubman Gill.
"What India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, and his desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn't he? It'll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time," Stokes said.