Ashes 2023 | 'For England to Win, Ben Stokes Has to be Fully Fit to Bowl': Brad Hogg
England Test skipper Ben Stokes with coach Brendon McCullum [Source: Twitter]
The highly-anticipated 'The Ashes 2023' between England and Australia gets underway tomorrow when both teams clash in the first Test at Edgbaston. England will be led by the charismatic Ben Stokes, who will look to reclaim the urn from Australia and win an Ashes series at home, something the Three Lions haven't achieved since 2015.
Stokes is coming off an injury layoff, having missed a major chunk of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season for Chennai Super Kings due to a niggle. Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg believes that for the hosts to beat Pat Cummins and Co., Stokes has to be fully fit.
Speaking on his Instagram page, the left-arm spinner explained that Stokes' ability to bowl will be crucial for England if they have to clinch the series.
Here's what Hogg said
“For England to win, Ben Stokes has to be fully fit to add to that bowling depth. He is aggressive, fast and bowls that short-pitched ball at the body that troubles most of the Australian batters. He will be crucial with his fitness,”
The 52-year-old went on to further praise Test head coach Brendon McCullum for making England the best red-ball team in the past year or so.
“McCullum has got his team operating like a well-oiled machine. England have been the best Test team over the past 12 months and there’s no doubt about that. He has got the perfect lithium batteries to charge his troops,”
England under McCullum and Stokes have won 11 out of their last 13 Tests, and have reinvented how the five-day game is played in modern-era.
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