Manchester Test: Ben Stokes joins elite club of all-rounders
What's the story
Ben Stokes has entered an elite club in Test cricket after his stellar 5/72 from 24 overs in the first innings of the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford. The England all-rounder took his fifth five-wicket haul in Tests during the match. This achievement made him only the fourth player in history to have taken five or more five-wicket hauls and scored 10 or more hundreds in Test cricket, joining legends Jacques Kallis, Ian Botham, and Garry Sobers.
Career highlights
Stokes's stats in this exclusive club
Stokes now has 13 centuries at an average of 35.15 with the bat and a bowling average of 31.63, which is second-best among the four all-rounders in this exclusive club. He has taken a total of 229 wickets in Test cricket, making him the 13th highest wicket-taker among English players. His run tally stands at an impressive 6,891 runs, making him the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket among those who have taken over 200 wickets.
Series stats
Stokes has been in phenomenal form since his return
Stokes has been in phenomenal form since his return from injury, especially in the ongoing India series. He has taken 16 wickets at an average of 24.75, which is the most he has ever taken in a bilateral Test series. This performance has helped England restrict India to 358/10 even when Rishabh Pant batted with a broken foot after injuring himself on day one of this match.
Information
Stokes makes this record
As per Cricbuzz, Stokes is the first England captain to take a fifer in a home Test since Bob Willis (5/35) against New Zealand, Leeds (1983). In between, Joe Root's 5/8 against India in Ahmedabad (2021) is the only other fifer by an England skipper.