Decoding Ben Stokes' best performances in Test cricket
All-rounder Ben Stokes has been appointed as the captain of England's Test side. He succeeds Joe Root, who hung up his boots earlier this month. Stokes has been a savior for the English side on many occasions in red-ball cricket. In fact, the 30-year-old is among the biggest match-winners to have played for England. We decode some of his best performances in Tests.
Chasing a target of 359 at Headingley, England were reduced to 286/9 in the final stages. However, Stokes held his nerves till the end. He dished out one of the most sublime knocks in the history of English cricket. Alongside Jack Leach, Stokes stitched an unbeaten 76-run stand for the last wicket. His gutsy 135* sealed a one-wicket win for England.
England were trailing the three-match series by 1-0. All the Caribbean side needed was a win at Old Trafford. It was when Ben Stokes came up with a herculean 176 (17 fours, two sixes). Alongside Dom Sibley, the southpaw plundered the visitors with a 260-run stand for the fourth wicket England rallied to 469/9d in the first innings, eventually winning by 113 runs.
In the Capetown Test, Stokes stamped one of the most aggressive knocks by an Englishman against the Proteas. Batting first, England bulldozed their way to 629/6d at Newlands riding on Stokes' bullish 258. The knock was laced with 30 fours and 11 sixes (SR 130.30). Notably, Stokes took 163 deliveries to race to bring his 200, making it the second-fastest double-hundred in Tests.
Facing an Indian bowling attack on Indian soil can be a daunting task for any batter. More so, if it is against a side comprising Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, and Mohammed Shami. However, Stokes' 128 overpowered the hosts. Along with vital contributions from Root (124) and Moeen Ali (117), England hoarded 537 in Rajkot. The match, however, ended in a draw.
It was the first of the five-match Test series. Virat Kohli's 149 had powered India to 274 in response to England's 287. The hosts added 180, eventually setting a target of 194 for the visitors. Stokes rose to the occasion, punching figures worth 4/40. He got the edge over Indian openers, Kohli (51), and later Shami. England won the first Test by 31 runs.
