‘We both love playing against each other’; India to miss Virat’s fighting spirit says Ben Stokes
England skipper and all-rounder Ben Stokes recalls Virat Kohli’s exuberance on the field during the match and comments that India will miss his ‘fighting spirit’ ahead of India’s opening Test against England at Headingley, Leeds, which starts on 20th June. A new face will lead the Indian team, Shubman Gill after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma announced their retirement from Test cricket last month. In a video released by England Cricket, Stokes said on what India will miss after the retirement of Virat Kohli, “I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn’t he? It’ll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time.” Stokes shared that when he texted Virat after the latter announced to put an end to his illustrious red ball career. Stokes said, “I did text him, saying it’s going to be a shame not to play against him because I love playing against Virat. We both love playing against each other because we have that same mindset when we are out in the field that it’s a battle.” Kohli retired as India’s fourth-highest run scorer in Test cricket, having scored 9230 runs at an average of 46.85 in 123 matches. He scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries. His annual average never dipped below 55 in the four years between 2016 and 2019. Additionally, his calendar year average at the end of 2016 and 2017 were both above 75.
Ben Stokes quits alcohol to boost fitness!
England’s Test captain Ben Stokes has revealed that he has given up alcohol to recover from a hamstring injury, which he suffered in December in a Test match in New Zealand. According to media reports, the all-rounder has stopped drinking alcohol since 2nd January this year, making a lifestyle shift for the all-rounder. Stokes has admitted that his previous drinking habits were “all or nothing” and had begun to affect both his physical recovery and personal well-being. The 33-year-old spoke on the Untapped podcast, saying, “After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped.’ “Then I was like: ‘OK, I need to start changing what I do.’ I don’t think I’ll ever be completely sober, but I’ve not had a drink since 2 January. I said to myself: ‘Not until I finish my injury rehab and get back on the field.’ I think the day I wake up and can’t be bothered to do the training program is getting towards that time when you don’t want it anymore. But I haven’t got any interest in stopping. “It’s just getting harder to do everything. Hence why now I feel like I have to work so much harder away from the field, in the gym, and all that kind of stuff to just give me the best chance of being out there to perform. But I’ll keep going as long as I possibly can.”
