We are really happy with where our bowling is: Stokes

Shoaib  is third most experienced bowler in the England line-up.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: Getty Images

For English cricket, 2025-26 will be a litmus test. The twin five-match series — first against India starting in Leeds on Friday and the second the Ashes in Australia later this year — present the biggest challenge for Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes ever since the coach-captain duo heralded the ‘Bazball’ era of high-risk, high-reward cricket.

It is thus a pity that England heads to Headingley with one of its least experienced bowling line-ups in recent memory, with James Anderson now retired and Jofra Archer injured. In fact, bowlers outside of Chris Woakes and Stokes have played a grand total of 26 Tests, of which lanky off-spinner Shoaib Bashir’s tally is 16.

“That’s not an issue,” insisted Stokes in the lead-up. “Guys have to start their international journey at some point. We have got a crop of bowlers who have an unbelievable amount of talent. Experience sometimes gets massively thought about and looked at. At the end of the day, it is your skills that [matter].

“It’s five matches… so at some point the dynamics of the line-up will change. But we are really happy with where our bowling is. We know what we want — points of difference and not the same thing throughout. You need that X-factor,” the 34-year-old said.

The bowling line-up can ease up a bit, for legends in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have now retired, but Stokes was mindful of the unending pipeline of talented Indian batters.

“The depth that India has in its batting department is incredible! Whoever comes in place of Virat and Rohit are going to be quality players. The two are a big miss for India, but we won’t be viewing it as something that is going to be easier than it would normally be.”

India does have a trump card in maverick pacer Jasprit Bumrah, but Stokes said that England was up for the challenge.

“No fear,” he declared. “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.

“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.”

(Watch India’s tour of England from June 20 onwards live on Sony Sports Ten 1 and Sony Sports Ten 5 channels)