Birmingham (United Kingdom) (AFP) - England captain Ben Stokes said Tuesday he “absolutely loves” watching Rishabh Pant play cricket even when he’s on the receiving end of the India star’s outrageous stroke-play.

Pant became only the second wicketkeeper in Test history to score hundreds in both innings of a match against England at Headingley, although his heroics were unable to prevent a five-wicket defeat last week that left the hosts 1-0 up in a five-match contest.

Pant went on to produce an array of extraordinary strokes, including over the shoulder ramp shots off fast bowlers.

Stokes, well capable of aggressive batting himself, expects more fireworks from Pant, even if he hopes to limit the Indian’s runs after scores of 134 and 118.

“Even though he’s my opposition, I absolutely love watching Rishabh play cricket,” said Stokes during a press conference on the eve of the second Test at Edgbaston starting Wednesday.

“Credit to him, two hundreds in the game, (but) we know we’re going to get our chances with the way Rishabh plays. On a different day, it could have looked a little bit different if one of those had gone straight to hand.

“He’s a very dangerous player. We know what he brings to the Indian team, but I really enjoy watching Rishabh play cricket.”

- ‘Shadow of myself’ -

A relatively youthful India team, with new captain Shubman Gill leading from the front with a century, were competitive for much of the time at Headingley in a match England won after pulling off the tenth-highest chase in Test history by scoring 371.

But batting collapses of 7-41, after they had been 430-3, and 6-31, from 333-4, proved costly for India in Leeds.

No cricket team faces such intense scrutiny as India, who have now lost seven of their 11 Tests under coach Gautam Gambhir, given the mass enthusiasm for the sport in the world’s most populous nation.

“I think it’s pretty clear that there’s always pressure on the shoulders of international sportsmen,” said Stokes. “But playing for India, especially in cricket, there’s probably a bit more of it than any other nation. But we don’t take anything for granted from last week.”

Stokes was able to play a full part with the ball in the first Test following a lengthy recovery from a hamstring injury and was the pick of England’s attack while taking 4-66 in India’s first innings and sending down 35 overs in the match.

The 34-year-old said while he felt the effects after England were in the field for more than 200 overs, he was now refreshed and ready to go again at Edgbaston.

“I feel better now than I did Thursday and Friday,” he said. “I used the three days after that game to offer absolutely nothing to the world. I was a shadow of my normal self. It just goes to show how much five-day Test matches take out of you.”

Jofra Archer was back with the squad at Edgbaston on Tuesday but England’s decision to field an unchanged team means the fast bowler’s long-awaited return to Test cricket after four years of injury trauma remains on hold.

“Facing him in the nets there, he’s got the ball swinging quite nicely and there’s that effortless pace,” said Stokes. “It’s been a while since I faced him so it was a little bit of a wake-up call for me.

“But I think it’s great to have him back in the dressing room. It’s been a long time since Jof’s been in the Test environment.”