Stokes ka yeh naya mantra, “smarter decision-making” aur “soaking up pressure,” sunne mein toh bada shandaar lagta hai, lekin kya yeh asal mein kaam karega jab India jaisi team unke saamne hogi?
Stokes ke shabdon mein ek nayi ummeed jhalakti hai. England ne unke captaincy mein 23 Test jeete hain aur 12 haare hain, jo bura nahi hai. Unki team duniya ki sabse tezi se run banane wali team bani hai, jaise 2022 mein Pakistan ke khilaaf 3-0 se jeet, jahan Harry Brook ne teesri century ke saath series ka hero ban gaya. Par jab baat pressure ki aati hai, toh England ka yeh aggressive style kai baar dhoka de deta hai. Yaad hai na, India ke khilaaf 18 mahine pehle 434 runon ki haar ya Hamilton mein 423 runon ka dhakka? Aise waqt mein Stokes ka yeh “soaking up pressure” ka funda kitna kaam karta hai, yeh dekhna hoga.
Ab thodi taareef bhi kar lete hain. Stokes ka yeh approach, jahan woh apne khiladiyon ko bolte hain ki pressure ko seene se laga lo, ek nayi soch dikhata hai. 2019 World Cup final mein unki mental toughness ne England ko jeet dilayi, jab unhone New Zealand ke khilaaf 15 run diye par aakhri over mein team ko sambhala. Yeh mental strength India ke khilaaf kaam aayegi, kyunki yeh Indian team, jismein Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma aur Ravichandran Ashwin nahi hain, shayad thodi kamzor dikhti hai. Shubman Gill, naye captain, aur Prasidh Krishna, IPL 2025 ke Purple Cap winner, apne aap ko saabit karne ke liye bechain hain. Yeh ek mauka hai England ke liye, par saath hi India ke naye chehron ke liye bhi.
| Khiladi | Matches | Runs/Wickets | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Stokes | 108 | 108th six* | 36.5 |
| Harry Brook | 15 | 3 centuries | 62.2 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 2 | 5 wickets | 29.8 |
| Shubman Gill | 25 | 1492 runs | 35.5 |
*Test career sixes
Lekin yahan ek chhupa hua sach hai—India ke yeh naye khiladi, jaise Gill aur Krishna, apne aap ko saabit karne ka dum rakhte hain. Stokes ka aggressive cricket shayad unke khilaaf ulta pad sakta hai, kyunki Indian pitches aur crowd ka pressure England ke liye naya imtehaan hoga. Stokes ke shabdon mein dum hai, par jab maidan par India ke naye sheron ka saamna hoga, toh kya yeh “exciting cricket” jeet dilayega ya phir ek aur badi haar ka sabab banega? Yeh toh waqt hi batayega, lekin filhaal toh India ke naye khiladiyon ka hausla dekhne layak hai.
