'It's going to be learning experience for him' - Jonny Bairstow on Ben Stokes taking up England's Test captaincy

England’s wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow feels newly appointed captain Ben Stokes will find the new role as a learning curve in his career. Stokes will start his tenure by taking the field in the first Test against the visiting New Zealand side who are touring the nation for a three-match Test series. He will be assisted by England’s new coach Brendon McCullum who will be training the team against his home team.

England has only won one of its previous 17 Tests and has lost 11 of them, including a 0-4 thumping in the Ashes, which led to Chris Silverwood’s dismissal as head coach and the end of Joe Root’s leadership. As a result, England is placed last in the World Test Championship Points Table.

“Not much will change from Ben Stokes the player. The way he goes about his bowling and his batting, it’s all whole-hearted stuff and his captaincy will be the same. [But] it’s going to be a learning experience for him as well. We need to understand and recognize that it’s going to be a learning curve, but the experience that he’s got around him, and the visions that he’s got are great. If we can all pull together in the right direction, then it is going to be an exciting brand of cricket,” Bairstow told BBC Sport’s Test Match Special.

Both the teams will be missing the services of some of their key players

Stokes will be hoping to make a triumphant start as captain against the Black Caps at Lord’s, but the team suffered a major blow as Ollie Robinson tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, and as a result, the side will not be having his services for the next few days. The Sussex bowler was left out of the last team due to a lack of playing time, and his efforts to regain full fitness in time for the third Test have been hampered.

Meanwhile, New Zealand may be missing Henry Nicholls and Trent Boult, despite the fact that both were included in the visitors’ 15-man squad. Before the squad came up, the former had been rehabilitating from a calf injury incurred in training, while the latter got free only two days back after playing the IPL 2022 final for RR on Sunday, May 29.