Ben Stokes delivered a performance that underlined his status among cricket’s elite allrounders, scoring a century to add to his earlier five-wicket haul as England dismantled India’s top order late on day four of the fourth Test.
Stokes’ hundred came after a brief injury scare. He had retired hurt on 66 with leg cramps the previous day but returned on Friday looking as composed and aggressive as ever.
He picked up a quick single in the opening over. India appealed, convinced they had him run out, but replays showed he had made his ground. Mohammed Siraj, who believed the dismissal was certain, could only watch as Stokes responded with a boundary in the following over.
The England captain reached his century with a glance off the pads. It was his first in 35 innings. His celebration was a quiet release — a punch in the air, a folded-finger salute in tribute to his late father, and a brief nod to the crowd. A trumpeter responded with the Superman theme.
It’s hard to grasp just how massive that achievement was for Ben Stokes. You’re talking about a club that only had two members in all of Test history—Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis—for players with 7,000 runs and 200 wickets.
Stokes just became the third. And he wasn’t done making history; he also became only the fifth captain to score a ton and take five wickets in the same game. Just incredible stuff.
England’s total of 669 was their fifth-highest in Test cricket. India had to endure 157.1 overs in the field and the toll was evident.
When it was their turn to bat, things unraveled quickly.
India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck, undone by Chris Woakes who switched to around the wicket to angle one in. The ball seamed off the surface, catching Jaiswal’s leading edge. Joe Root juggled the chance but held on.
Just one delivery later, Sai Sudharsan fell in unusual fashion. A short, wide ball should have been left alone. He initially tried to play it, then hesitated and withdrew — too late. The ball brushed the bat and flew to second slip.
India had not yet scored a run.
Shubman Gill came in to face the hat-trick delivery. He walked out to a ring of close fielders. Five slips, a leg slip, and not much breathing room.
By the time the session ended, India had managed just a single run in three overs.
This wasn’t just about scoreboard pressure. It was about momentum, fatigue, and perhaps some nerves. India trails by 311 runs, and the psychological weight of being 0 for 2 on the back of a 669-run innings looms large.
The day belonged to Stokes, but it might end up belonging to England if India can’t recover. The next session might determine whether the match goes the distance or ends with a statement.
