ENG vs IND: 'England will carry momentum from New Zealand series against India', says Ben Stokes

KARACHI: England's new Test skipper Ben Stokes said on Thursday that England will try to "operate in the same way" as they have this summer in the rescheduled fifth Test against India.

England was down 2-1 in the series when it was called off last September due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the touring party.

It was a part of a streak in which England won just one Test match out of 17, but they enter the contest, which gets underway on Friday at Edgbaston, having defeated New Zealand 3-0 with the help of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

"It is a bit strange," said Stokes, according to BBC Sports.

"It is different opposition but I made it very clear after the New Zealand series how we're going to do things and we're going to go out there and try to operate in the same way."

"I know the bigger picture of it - trying to draw a series - but every game for me, so early on in my captaincy and trying to rebuild this team, is bigger than results.

"It is bigger than that - it is about Test cricket."

Under the leadership of Stokes and McCullum, England has adopted an aggressive stance and has relatively easily finished off chases of 277, 299, and 296 to thoroughly defeat the world Test champions New Zealand.

The Indian lineup has not yet been announced, but fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been named captain in place of Rohit Sharma, the team's opening batsman, who tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

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