Manchester Test: Ben Stokes attains elusive record with ton against India
The English Test captain, Ben Stokes, broke a two-year drought for a Test century as he batted against India in the fourth fixture. The ongoing Manchester Test has witnessed the hosts commanding all-round dominance over the touring Indian side. Ben Stokes, meanwhile, has led the proceedings from both ends. Despite being troubled by cramps, Stokes scored a ton against the Indian attack on Day 4 of the fourth Test. The century at Old Trafford is now recorded as the 14th Test ton by the England captain. Moreover, Ben Stokes also completed 7,000 runs in the format, joining the legendary Gary Sobers and Jacques Kallis in an elite list.
Ben Stokes topples record charts with his ton on Day 4 of the Manchester Test
Completing 7000 Test runs, Ben Stokes became only the third all-rounder with as many runs and 200 wickets in the format. Struggling against cramps on Day 3 of the Test, Stokes retired hurt. However, the captain returned on the same day after the fall of Jamie Smith. The skipper started Day 4 unbeaten on 77 and eventually brought up his century off 164 deliveries, decorated with nine boundaries. As his two-year-long century drought ended, Stokes celebrated emotionally, looking up to the sky and lifting a finger as a salute in tribute to his late father, Ged Stokes.
The century in the fourth India vs England Test marked his first hundred since June 2023, when he hammered a fiery 155 against Australia at Lord’s. With this knock, he etched his name into history as the first English cricketer in 148 years of Test cricket to achieve the remarkable double of scoring over 7,000 runs and claiming more than 200 wickets in the format. England, already ahead 2-1 in the five-match series, piled on a massive 669 runs, building a dominant first-innings lead of 311. Earlier, Stokes had played a pivotal role with the ball as well, claiming 5 for 72 to help dismiss India for 358.
His heroics placed him in elite company as Stokes became only the fourth England player to notch a century and take five wickets in the same Test. With his all-round dominance against India in the Manchester Test, Stokes joined Tony Greig, Ian Botham, and Gus Atkinson as the player to clinch a fifer and smash a ton in the same Test. As captain, he is also just the fourth in world cricket to achieve the feat.
The English captain made the visitors toil hard before his innings ended on 141 off 198 balls, when he was caught off against the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja. The Manchester Test, meanwhile, has proved exceptionally fruitful for the hosts. Just a day before, Joe Root charged up the list of all-time highest run-scorers in Test cricket. With his 150-run knock, Root eclipsed Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, and Ricky Ponting to claim the spot behind Sachin Tendulkar as the second-highest run-scorer in the format.
