Ind vs Eng | 'Unbelievable achievement': Pope lauds Stokes as England captain gears up for 100th Test

England captain Ben Stokes will be playing his 100th Test when his side takes on India in the third Test in Rajkot, which gets underway on Feb 15 (Thursday). Ahead of the commencement of the third Test versus India, England Test vice-captain Ollie Pope lavished huge praise on Stokes and stated that it is an 'unbelievable achievement' to play 100 Tests. Stokes has been one of the greats of the modern-day game and has6,251 runs and 197 wickets in 99 Tests.

Ahead of Stokes' 100th Test, Pope addressed the media in the pre-match press conference and said,"Unbelievable achievement to play 100 Tests. Since he has been the captain there have been so many special moments." The English all-rounder has had a remarkable run in international cricket, especially in the purest format of the game. He has won several games from nowhere with both bat and ball and has changed England's playing style completely ever since he took over as the Test captain in early 2022.

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Stokes has led England in 21 Tests, winning 14 and losing only six. At present, he has a stern task ahead to take England to a series win over India after 12 years. Currently, the India-England Test series is levelled at 1-1 with three more games to go. Stokes-led England have pushed India to the back foot in the opening two Tests and not given anything to them easily, while relying on their Bazball approach.

In the Test series versus India, Stokes has looked good with the bat but is yet to come up with bigger knocks. He has not bowled yet in the series and Pope indicated that he might bowl in Rajkot. He added, "Not sure if Ben Stokes will be available to bowl in the Rajkot Test, he is working to get his knee right." Stokes is three wickets away from 200 Test scalps and the English captain would love to get to the milestone in his landmark Test.