England captain on the return of Ben Stokes, battling Australia in the Gabba and what makes Test cricket the greatest format
“I can’t remember exactly what I said when he called. I just remember having a massive grin on my face for the next couple of days.”
And on cue, that massive grin is back. There is a tendency in professional sport to overdo the elite mate-ship stuff, that band-of-buddies dynamic all teams like to erect around themselves. In this respect, at least, the current England Test team stands out. Joe Root and Ben Stokes, the captain and his deputy, are not just actual friends but one of the great modern-day English sporting friendships.
