Ben Stokes Confirms Joe Root Will Bat At Number Four In His Test Squad

New England Test captain Ben Stokes has stated that his successor and batting icon Joe Root will bat at No. 4 in the batting lineup against New Zealand at Lord’s next month at the beginning of the home summer.

Despite a stellar 12-month stretch in which he smashed six Test tonnes since the start of 2021, Root had been demoted to one drop in the series against the West Indies.

Even though Root smashed two more hundreds in the Caribbean, Stokes has supported his good friend to bat in his most productive position, where he averages 51.27 compared to 39.67 at No. 3.

“I’ve already communicated with him. I’ve asked him to return to four, and I’ll be at six “Stokes came out. “Joe gets runs wherever he hits, but his best position is four. I believe that with him being four and me being six, we have some experience in the gap. So you can see where the spots for people to raise their hands are opening up: three and five.”

‘We just have to pick the best playing XI’: Ben Stokes

Stokes started the club had interesting choices open and aimed to pick the best XI rather than the team’s method of alternation used throughout their travels in the Covid bubble. While Jofra Archer, Olly Stone, and Mark Wood stay on the sidelines for Surrey, Sam Curran has rejoined to action.

“If you look at the players that aren’t available because of injury – Wood, Archer, Stone, Curran – they’d all be battling for positions,” Stokes added.

“Then you put them in with Broady, Jimmy, Robbo, Woakesy fascinating it’s to imagine the team we could field if we don’t have any injuries. Regrettably, this is the case. All we have to do now is pick the best XI from the available options, which I will always do.”

The former England skipper has an excellent average of 51.27 when batting at number four, which is almost 12 runs greater than his mark (39.67) when batting at three.

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