"I've had a torrid time with injuries" - Olly Stone ready to repay Ben Stokes' faith after England recall

Olly Stone is all set to make a return to Test cricket in 2024. He played his last Test against New Zealand in June 2021 and since then has been out of the side with injuries.

The toss-up was between Essex seamer Sam Cook and Olly Stone for the likely replacement for Dillon Pennington who is now ruled out of the Test series against Sri Lanka with a hamstring injury.

It was Olly Stone's raw pace that gave him the nod over Cook who has more wickets in the ongoing country championship having taken 29 wickets at 13.62 average.

Olly Stone has taken 10 wickets at 47 for Nottinghamshire. England played Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson together in the Test series against West Indies. The decision to include Stone was because the management wants a raw quick pacer throughout this phase in Test cricket and Stones gives him a better option at the moment.

Another crucial aspect of his comeback is the number of overs he bowled. He has bowled 132.2 of them in the Championship, 44 in the T20 Blast - where he was ever-present for Nottinghamshire - and a further 80 balls in The Hundred taking four wickets for London Spirit. Olly Stone shared his comeback story in an exclusive interaction with ESPNCricinfo.

"It's been brilliant. Obviously I've had a torrid time with injuries. I've been out there wanting to play for Notts and enjoy it. I knew if I did that, then maybe the phone call would come - and thankfully, it has. I'm just loving playing cricket again and putting a run of games together. I've found a way, this year, to keep going," Stone said.

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Tried To Use Pace As My Tool & Weapon: Olly Stone

This is Stone's second stint in Test cricket in the Stokes-McCullum era as his first stint came in 2022 on a New Zealand tour. He did not play a Test match in that series but saw the attacking approach of Test cricket from England from close quarters. Stone even recalled the advice from the coach and the captain from that series.

"I loved it. They told me to just go about my business the way I play my cricket; that I got selected for a reason, and not to go away from that. I sat down and asked, 'is there anything I could do to get closer to the team," Olly Stone said.

The England pacer has tried to manage his fitness as he has played just four four-day games this season.

"I feel like I've tried, this year, to go through the gears a little bit. I felt like I've bowled better than the numbers have said. But I've always tried to use my pace as my tool and my weapon," Stone concluded saying.

The first of the three Tests against Sri Lanka will be played in Manchester from August 21.

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