England captain Ben Stokes is adamant his long-term goal of regaining the Ashes in Australia will have no ill-effects as he leads his side into a home Test series against the West Indies starting Wednesday.

The 32-year-old said he was skipping the tournament in the United States and the West Indies to make sure he could be a fully-fledged all-rounder in Test cricket.

"I'm working hard and focusing on building my bowling fitness back up to fulfil a full role as an all-rounder in all formats of cricket," Stokes, England's Test captain, said in a statement.

"I don't give too much away as the series is going on but I'm always man enough to say we got beaten by the better team," Stokes told reporters.

India's five-wicket victory on a spiteful track in Ranchi was not really a cakewalk, thanks to England's never-say-die spin attack.

"On this occasion, their skill was better than ours," Stokes told reporters.

“I’ve never seen something like that before. I don’t know what could happen,” England captain Ben Stokes told the British media after seeing the pitch for their fourth Test against India at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, which begins today. 

There is "definitely a chance" that England captain Ben Stokes will bowl in the fourth Test against India, his deputy Ollie Pope said Wednesday, in a badly needed boost for the tourists.

"I managed to bowl at 100 percent on one of the warm-up days here which made me feel pretty good. I felt like I could have bowled in the game but that would have been stupid."

"This England team are hell bent on doing things their way, and 'saving test cricket'. They are giving test cricket a shot in the arm because they are so exciting," Michael Vaughan wrote in Britain's Daily Telegraph.

England's bold tactics under Stokes and coach Brendon 'Baz' McCullum have revitalised Test cricket and India, who have not lost a Test series on home soil since 2012, were always going to be a litmus test of that philosophy.

A severely depleted India will do everything they can to try and deny England captain Ben Stokes a victory in his 100th Test when the teams clash in the third match of the five-Test series in Rajkot on Thursday.

"It was always one of those situations for an individual where having to wait for that, it's always an anxious period, but thankfully we've got it through this morning."

Ben Stokes will earn his 100th Test cap when he leads England against India in the third Test beginning Thursday in Rajkot, with both sides having to contend with the absence of key players.

"We've had some incredible victories... I feel this is our best victory since I've been captain."

England coach Matthew Mott said test captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Jofra Archer will be given every chance to prove their fitness before next year's Twenty20 World Cup.

The 32-year-old took part in the recently concluded ICC World Cup in India, where England finished seventh out of 10 teams.

Ben Stokes' maiden World Cup hundred set-up a 160-run win for struggling champions England in their bottom of the table clash against the Netherlands in Pune on Wednesday.

A reverse swept four off paceman Paul van Meekeren saw Stokes, battling a longstanding knee injury, to the landmark in 78 balls, including five sixes.

England's Ben Stokes on Friday conceded that "nothing's worked" in a disastrous World Cup campaign.