Workload of bowlers could be a game-changer, reveals Ben Stokes

England captain Ben Stokes admits he deliberately pushed his bowlers to the limit at Headingley last week as he continues his quest to “reshape the way Test cricket is played”.

A whirlwind approach to batting has been the most obvious aspect of England’s brave new world under Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, with an average run-rate of 4.54 throughout their 3-0 series win over New Zealand.

But Stokes is eager to keep challenging conventions, including when it comes to the workloads of his bowlers.

Having selected 36-year-old Stuart Broad and 23-year-old rookie Matthew Potts to face India at Edgbaston on Friday – a fourth Test in a little over four weeks – the captain revealed he was eager to see how far he could stretch his seamers.

Stokes took a back seat in Leeds last time out, not bowling at all in the first innings and sending down just four overs in the second. That left Potts to pick up 51 overs in the match, while Broad’s share of 47 was his highest for five years.

I really wanted to push the bowlers as far as I possibly could, to make them realise what they can do- Ben Stokes

“There was actually a method to why I didn’t bowl. I really wanted to push the bowlers as far as I possibly could, to make them realise what they can do,” he said.

“Broady, in particular, wasn’t very happy with me. It’s funny, as bowlers have your green zones, amber zones and red zones based on how much work you’ve done at the end of a Test. Broady said he’s created a new zone called the burgundy zone.

“But that Test match was bigger than the result, as I keep saying. What we did over the last three weeks is reshape how Test cricket is played.

“I honestly believe bowling out the best team in the world with three seamers and a spinner