England cricket team skipper Ben Stokes made it clear that his team does not feat Jasprit Bumrah heading into the five-match Test series against India. Ahead of the first Test match starting Friday, Stokes said that Bumrah is a world-class bowler but he does not have the ability to win the series for India single-handedly. The England skipper also pointed out that his players come up against quality opposition in international cricket and irrespective of class, they are not afraid of any team or individual.

“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.

“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,” he added.

Earlier, Joe Root declared that it is his time to pay back Test skipper Ben Stokes, who did so much for him while serving as his deputy during his captaincy tenure that lasted from 2017 to 2022.

Out of the Yorkshireman’s current tally of 13,006 Test runs, 3,117 of those have come in the last three years and 36 Tests since the captaincy mantle was passed down to the flamboyant all-rounder three years ago.

Root, who initially felt weird after returning to the team after serving as the leader, has averaged 56.67 during what he describes as the most enjoyable period of his career. For the 34-year-old, the best way to support Stokes was to pile up runs on the board.

“Ben did so much for me as my vice-captain, now it’s my turn to give a bit back to him. It was difficult and weird coming back into the team after being leader. I didn’t want to get in Ben’s way or step on his toes, but I wanted him to know I was there to support him,” Stokes told Skt Sports.

“I knew a big part of that was scoring runs. I wanted to make sure I could affect games with the bat, and clearly, if I was following his lead as a former captain, it sends a strong message to anyone coming into the team or not as established as myself,” he added.