England all-rounder Ben Stokes was the center of focus as he attended the pre-match press conference on the eve of the second ODI between India and England to be played on March 26 at the MCA stadium in Pune.
India leads the series 1-0 with a brilliant 66-run win in the first match after they defended 317 runs despite an early onslaught from Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy. It was a match for the Indian debutants, as Krunal Pandya and Prasidh Krishna shined brightly.
Virat Kohli. Image-Wisden
Ben Stokes was at his cheeky best while handling the question from journalists during the virtual press conference and one of his answers to a question related to Virat Kohli left everyone in splits.
Which One Do You Prefer, A Nice Virat Or A Spiky Virat? Ben Stokes Gives A Hilarious Answer
A reporter suggested to Ben Stokes that Virat Kohli had upped his aggression a couple of notches as the series between the two sides have progressed. The all-rounder was then asked which Virat Kohli does England preferred to see on the field- “nice or spiky”.
“In the 1st Test, we saw a nice Virat who helped Joe. Since then he has been a bit spiky. Which one do you prefer, a nice Virat or a spiky Virat?” a reporter asked.
Virat Kohli. Image Credits: BCCI
Stokes was at his witty best and replied that England would prefer Virat Kohli, who doesn’t score runs against them, given that he hammered three half-centuries, all unbeaten as he led India to a 3-2 T20I series win recently and scored 56 in the first ODI as well.
“Personally, I prefer Virat doesn’t get runs, because that (him getting runs) is not good for us,” Stokes responded with a smile on his face.
Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali. Image-Twitter
“Every team and every player has a certain way of operating in the field, which makes them successful. As a team over the last four-five years, that’s not the way that works for us. We stick to what we do best and what we make is to build a better side. Each team is entitled to their own way of operations. India have there and we have ours,” he added.
The second ODI will be played on March 26 at Pune’s MCA Stadium.
Also Read: Ben Stokes Lauds Jofra Archer For Putting England Commitments Over Everything Else
