"Has a bulletproof approach to cricket" - David Gower lauds England captain Ben Stokes ahead of 5th Test vs India

Former England captain David Gower has showered praise on current Test skipper Ben Stokes' approach to the game ahead of the fifth Test against India, which starts on July 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

Stokes, who took over the reins from Joe Root, established his authority in his first series as captain. England, under Stokes and new Test head coach Brendon McCullum, played an aggressive brand of cricket and handed New Zealand a 3-0 drubbing earlier this month. They chased down targets in two of the three Tests on the final day of the match.

Gower was impressed with the calls Stokes made in the three Tests against the Kiwis. Speaking to TOI, he said:

“Without taking Joe Root to court, he is a different type of captain to Stokes. Stokes has a bulletproof approach to cricket. He will make mistakes, but so far most of his moves have seemed to be the right ones."

Gower also hinted that the former captain-coach duo of Root and Chris Silverwood adopted a flawed strategy that hurt England. He added:

"With regards to selection, when we have a world that is heading back to normal, and all your resources are available, then my view is as straight forward as McCullum’s. Pick your best side for each game. This idea of playing a couple of games and being rested even when there is nothing wrong, doesn’t make sense."

England have named a star-studded playing XI for the all-important game against India. James Anderson has made a comeback to the side in place of Jamie Overton to share the new ball with Stuart Broad.

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"They will play only Jadeja" - David Gower on India's spin combinations

While the hype around the game is at an all-time high, rain might play a spoilsport in the first couple of days.

With the wicket likely to be damp, the visiting side might ponder playing two spinners, but David Gower doesn't think so. He believes India will field only one spinner and go with four seamers.

Gower reasoned:

“I have a feeling, they will play only Jadeja."

Apart from Jadeja, India also have veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in their ranks.

The visitors will be led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the absence of regular captain Rohit Sharma. The talismanic batter has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been ruled out of the series decider.