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ODI world cup 2023 Cricket

'Warrior is back' -  Fans react as Ben Stokes return to England's 2023 World Cup playing XI against South Africa

The return of Ben Stokes will certainly strengthen England's batting line-up and boost their confidence after getting thrashed by Afghanistan in their last match.

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Mathew K
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Ben Stokes (Source: Twitter)

Ben Stokes (Source: Twitter)

England are up against South Africa on Saturday, October 21 for their fourth match of the 2023 ODI World Cup. As two of the strongest batting units in the tournament go head-to-head at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, a thrilling match promises cricket fans. However, for England and South Africa, their comeback after humiliating defeats to Afghanistan and South Africa will be crucial. 

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Looking at the points table, England are in more danger as they have won just one of their three matches so far. Their World Cup campaign started with a 9-wicket loss to New Zealand. But won against Bangladesh in their next match before getting thrashed by Afghanistan in Delhi. A 68-run loss to one of the tournament's underdogs certainly dented the confidence of the defending champions, who needed to get back on the winning track immediately. 

However, for their crucial encounter against the Proteas, star all-rounder Ben Stokes is back in the side and this has definitely strengthened their batting line-up. Due to a hip injury, Stokes had to sit out of England’s first three matches. Meanwhile, a couple of days ago, head coach Matthew Mott had said that the 32-year-old is likely to feature in their next game. Including the addition of Stokes, England have made a total of three changes from their previous Playing XI. 

Speaking at the toss, skipper Buttler said: "We are going to bowl first. Generally a good ground for chasing, that's the reason behind it. It's not about looking back, need to look forward. Need to be at our best. Stokes comes in, Willey and Atkinson come in for Woakes and Curran. This wicket favours pace, so we are focussing on that. Everyone is eager to get going. Need to be true to ourselves. We need to play our brand of cricket."

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South Africa vs England Playing XIs:

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi

England (Playing XI): Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(w/c), David Willey, Adil Rashid, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Reece Topley

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Here's how fans reacted to Ben Stokes' return to England's World Cup playing XI:

 

 

England South Africa Ben Stokes