Can Ben Stokes change England's fortunes in Test cricket?

When we talk about cricket and its history, we always think about Test cricket as this was the format where everything began. Ardent cricket fans and lovers have always enjoyed this format the most as the excitement and intrigue that a good game of Test cricket can bring is completely unmatched. This format of the game allows players to tell a story almost like a movie. The emotions that teams who compete on the field undergo are like a roller coaster ride. This also takes fans on a journey that could possibly be the most memorable one in years to come. 

Fingers were pointed at Joe Root's captaincy last year after his team lost the series against West Indies which led to him stepping down from the leadership role. But can you really point fingers at one man when the whole team has done miserably?

The reason behind my answer is that the biggest problem lies in their batting. Modern-day top-order batters are alien to the art of batting in Test cricket. Even English batters who are more often than not playing in their own backyard find it extremely difficult to play in their swing-friendly conditions because the amount of red-ball cricket that they play has significantly reduced due to T20 cricket taking over the world.

What you saw in the first Test match between England and New Zealand was a total batting collapse from both sides in the first innings of the game. Before you think about the pitch being unplayable or something on those lines, remember Joe Root and Daryll Mitchell scored centuries in the second innings of the match which means it was all about applying yourself as a batter and spending time at the crease.

Yes, Ben Stokes has the qualities of becoming a great leader as he is a player who can lead by example he is one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket right now. But, he alone can not change much if he does not get the support of his batters who open the innings as England has struggled in getting starts which is why the batters that follow are unable to bat freely and put pressure on the opposition.

So for Ben Stokes to be the leader who can turn things around for his team, the batters in the side will have to bat better. They will have to make sure that they apply themselves and play the waiting game in conditions that are challenging whether it is in England or any other part of the world. 

The newly-appointed skipper will just have to make sure that his side does well in the batting department. He'll need to back the right kind of batters and give them the long rope to make sure that he can bring the best out of them.