With a hip injury, Stokes missed England’s heavy loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener on Thursday.

During training in Dharamshala on Sunday, he had a gentle net – his first in 10 days.

However, he still looked uncomfortable, and the poor outfield will also be a factor.

On Saturday, Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott criticized the surface after spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman’s knee dug into it during an awkward slide.

“We’re lucky Mujeeb didn’t have a serious knee injury,” said the former England batter.

The stadium in Dharamshala has a beautiful Himalayan backdrop, but its outfield is becoming a problem. As a result of concerns about the outfield, the third Test between India and Australia was moved to Indore in February.

In a scheduled visit on Sunday, the International Cricket Council’s head of events Chris Tetley and pitch consultant Andy Atkinson inspected the field.

The playing area has bare, sandy patches.

Team management has discussed the issue, as England barely trained on the surface, instead heading to the nets.

To avoid injuries, players may be advised not to slide when chasing the ball to the boundary.

The ICC spokesperson said: “The process for assessing the condition of the pitch and outfield lies with the match officials and the outfield at Dharamshala was rated as average following the Afghanistan v Bangladesh match.