“It looked interesting, didn’t it? I don’t know. I can’t say much.” It was maybe probably the most diplomatic reply Ben Stokes has given in India to date.

Coming into this tour, England made a aware effort to not moan about pitches. Just like several workforce at dwelling, curating a floor on their very own phrases was India’s prerogative. Complaining about them does little however make you appear to be sore losers and, worse nonetheless, create paranoia inside your individual ranks. The inner messaging was easy: take care of it. The preparation in Abu Dhabi, on raked, sand-laced strips, was finished with this in thoughts.

They have largely caught to that – DRS gripes aside, of course. The pitches at Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Rajkot have been glorious all through, evolving to supply selection and, finally, rewarding high quality. And, as per the 2-1 scoreline, India have been the higher workforce to date.

Things are set to take a flip at Ranchi, so to talk. The vacationers have been greeted on the JSCA International Stadium by what they regarded as an odd-looking 22-yard strip. Two days forward of the Friday begin, it was already cracked, with plates that some gamers count on to shift when underneath strain.

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen something like that before so I have got no idea,” Stokes stated, when requested on the way it would possibly play. “I don’t know what could happen.

“If you appeared down one aspect of reverse ends it simply appeared totally different to what I’m used to seeing, particularly out in India. It appeared inexperienced and grassy up within the changing-rooms, however then you definately go on the market, it appeared totally different. Very darkish and crumbly and fairly just a few cracks in it.”

England had an inkling these conditions would be the most unusual of the series when it was announced that Jasprit Bumrah would be rested for the fourth Test. Bumrah’s 17 wickets at 13.64 have come in a variety of situations and deliveries, and India won’t mind if there’s more on offer for their spinners in his absence. Particularly with a 2-1 lead.

England have to grin and bear it. As vice-captain Ollie Pope observed: “If it does spin from ball one, I suppose it is a fair taking part in subject”.

As such, Stokes is considering whether to revert to the spin-heavy attack of the first two Tests, though he will wait for one final look on Thursday before deciding whether to bring off-spinner Shoaib Bashir in for James Anderson. Another option, particularly if England anticipate a short match dominated by the need for fast scoring in turning conditions, could be to reinforce the batting with Dan Lawrence stepping in for Anderson. Though he has yet to play a Test under Stokes, the England management have long rated his positive approach, while his own idiosyncratic offspin has been known to extract sharp turn.

The one certainty at this juncture is that Ollie Robinson will exchange Mark Wood, who expended plenty of energy during the defeat in the third Test and needs a rest.

It has been an intriguing tour for Robinson. He has been almost entirely in the shadows, having spent his last series as one of the main protagonists. His last competitive match was the third Ashes Test at Headingley, where he was limited to just 11.2 overs in the first innings before a back spasm ruled him out of the rest of the series. He had been Australia’s main antagonist up to that point, aggravating plenty off the field while on it having a modest impact, with just nine wickets at an average of 28.40.

The six months between the last of those 19 Test caps and the build-up to this tour has been spent wisely. He knocked around 20 seconds off his 2km time in a fitness drive that has him looking leaner and more equipped for the rigours of energy-sapping work India asks of seamers.

For a player lambasted publicly for his lack of fitness by former bowling coach Jon Lewis during the 2021/22 Ashes, omitted by Stokes for the first series in the 2022 summer against New Zealand and told by his captain to shape up, then failing to play a full part last summer, this is an important juncture for Robinson. An undulating two years presents a talented cricketer with 76 career dismissals at 22.21 an opportunity to impact a high-profile series. This must-win Test will be the 30-year-old’s first in India.

Robinson has not gone through the motions while on the periphery of this series. His partner, Mia Baker, is out for the duration of the tour, and the pair have recorded a few episodes of their podcast, “Chatting Balls”, and played a few rounds of golf during their downtime.

Most importantly, Robinson has maintained a high level during nets, showcasing skills that worked so well in Pakistan last winter on similar decks not conducive to seam. It has not gone unnoticed.

“I feel he has labored extremely laborious whereas he has been out right here,” Stokes said. “And it’s robust for somebody like Ollie, who’s performed such an enormous half within the recreation over the past two years, the place he has not taken half in a recreation and the stuff he has finished away from the sport itself has been excellent.

“I told him today he has been a great example of doing the right things and waiting your turn if it comes. Not playing the first three Tests can be tough and disappointing. But the way he has cracked on and got his fitness stuff in and not let disappointment get in the way of a potential chance that might come in this series.

“He’s acquired unbelievable expertise to be a profitable bowler anyplace on the earth. What we have seen in England is he is very skilful, however we have seen greater than that in Pakistan. It’s related however totally different right here, however the talent he possesses, he can discover any motion, and his launch level is all the time going to be harmful.

“The skill will always be there. But since that chat [in 2022] he’s worked on everything I thought that would get the best out of him, but also the team. Having Ollie Robinson able to bowl three spells and back it up the next day is going to do any team the world of good.”

Stokes wouldn’t get drawn on particular statements on choice, not till he will get one final take a look at the pitch on Thursday afternoon. That included staying coy about his participation as an allrounder.

He bowled at Jonny Bairstow for 35 minutes throughout Wednesday’s coaching session – the primary time he had bowled at a batter following surgical procedure on his left knee in November. A possible breaking of the “pinky promise” made with touring physio Ben Davies that he wouldn’t bowl in India needs to be lined off by a beer. Before that time, Stokes needs to see how he pulls up after his longest bowling stint by this rehabilitation interval.

“My knee itself was absolutely fine today bowling,” he stated. “It was just good to push past that 20-minute barrier, which is what I’ve been working around at the moment. It might be a bit stiff but we’ll wait and see.”

As a collective, the previous few days have been centered on the emotional restoration from the 434-run battering in Rajkot. The most galling defeat of the Bazball period – and there have solely been six, set in opposition to 14 wins in 21 Tests – led to a big backlash in opposition to the new-ish motion. Was Stokes stunned by the response?

“No, it’s sport, innit,” he shrugged. “You get plaudits when it goes well and a bit of s**t when it doesn’t. It’s part of it. I’ve been around long enough to know that, but we crack on.”

His speedy response to the loss was to get the gamers collectively within the away dressing-room and warn them of criticism from outdoors their circle of belief, in addition to the necessity to shed the defeat as rapidly as doable. Nevertheless, he appreciates people may have their very own reflections on what went so flawed, one thing he regards as an excellent factor.

“Me, as a person, and I’m sure every player in the dressing-room has reflected in some way on that game. But in terms of the result, no.

“I feel so long as everybody’s reflecting on a recreation, whether or not you carry out or do not carry out, after which that is given you a chanc ien the subsequent recreation to do one thing higher, I feel that is the easiest way to have a look at it, slightly than reflecting an excessive amount of on the end result. That’s type of how I take a look at wins, defeats, no matter it could be.

“You can have a good game and lose, and a bad game and win, so reflecting on your performance as an individual is the most important thing to do, rather than reflecting on the result itself. So many things go into a Test match and focusing solely on the result of the game is not the best type of reflection.”

One factor this group has proven is a capability to show the tide. An opening defeat by an innings at Lord’s within the South Africa sequence two summers in the past was adopted by two dominant wins. Similarly, a 2-0 deficit to Australia final summer season, with the ethos underneath immense pressure, was flipped in spectacular style to sq. the Ashes two-all. Stokes places it right down to preserving “a pretty level vibe”, which he’ll carry ahead right into a match that can both hold the sequence alive or consign England to a 3rd consecutive winless sequence.

“It’s just what we’re good at, taking every game as it comes,” he stated. “That’s what we have done ever since I started as captain and we’ll go out there and try to play to the best of our capabilities.

“You may have good days and unhealthy days, good video games and unhealthy video games. Going on the market and sticking to the way in which that we all know permits us to play our greatest cricket is what we consistently concentrate on. That’s what we’ll be doing on this recreation, the subsequent recreation and different video games too.”