Headingley is one among England’s storied venues, with the Ian Botham Test from the 1981 Ashes, India’s unforgettable win in 2002 and Ben Stokes’ stupendous effort from 2019 coming instantly to thoughts. On Thursday, forward of the primary Test versus India, England skipper Stokes hoped for one more blockbuster contest.
“Headingley is generally the best overall cricket wicket that we tend to play on,” Stokes mentioned. “We’ve had some fantastic games here. Once batters get in, they are very hard to stop because of how true the wicket can be and how fast the outfield is. But you always feel like there’s something for a bowler.
“I know there’s scheduled 30 degree heat but this is North [England]. It could turn up and it’d be six degrees [down] again and it could be raining. [We’ll] just wait and see what the lovely northern weather’s like for us this week.”
One of Stokes’ vital allies in attempting to make it memorable for England will likely be pacer Chris Woakes, a bowling all-rounder with 181 wickets and a century towards India at Lord’s.
“I think this is correct, but since me and Baz [Brendon McCullum] have been captain and coach, I don’t think we’ve actually lost a game with Woakes in the team. That just proves how much of a valuable cricketer he is.
“Him being the leader of the attack… he’s going to thrive off that responsibility. The relentlessness that he has, whether with the new ball or old ball, and then having the ability to bat at No. 8. That’s a plus.”
Published – June 19, 2025 10:17 pm IST
