England need a win in the Test starting Friday in Ranchi after successive losses put them 2-1 down in the five-match series. The 32-year-old all-rounder Stokes previously said he would play purely as a batsman in the series because of his knee, but bowled in the nets on Wednesday. He has struggled with his left knee for some time, stopping him bowling in the last three Ashes Tests in 2023 and the ODI World Cup.
