 "Ben Stokes continues to bend the game to his will, serves another reminder of his ability as a rare all-round talent")
Ben Stokes might well have been Player of the Match at the last Test at Lord’s but it has been here at Old Trafford that he has truly defined the game, and in more ways than one.
First, from an England point of view, the good – after a long injury lay off England’s captain has arguably been their best bowler so far in the series, a case he very much strengthened in the first innings with a superb 5/72.
The standout scalp was that of Shubman Gill, trapped LBW in a bout of captain-on-captain violence and removed for a third consecutive low score after his magnificent efforts with the bat earlier on in the series.
Equally crucial though was the spell that yielded the wickets of Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar, India’s tail-bolstering all rounder safety net snuffed out before it could really hurt England’s chances.
Stokes joins Botham in an elite club
It is fairly rare for an all-rounder to contribute with both bat and ball in the same game, rarer still for them to be equally proficient in both disciplines, but Stokes has proven time and time again that he is indeed a rare talent.
On Day Four here at Manchester that all-round ability was on display for everyone to see, a comparatively lean run with the bat – that has seen him fail to register a Test match hundred in over two years – brought to a close shortly before the drinks break in the morning session as he tickled Mohammad Siraj off his pads for four to bring up three figures.
As the morning wore on so Stokes went through the gears, a couple of lusty sixes struck down the ground the highlights – his attempt at a third ending his knock for a superb 141. Before that though he had built on the sturdiest of foundations laid by Joe Root and batted England into a position that looked seemingly impregnable at the innings change – England’s total of 669 all out a new record for any side at the ground.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIt was just the fourth time an England player has picked up a five-wicket haul and a century in the same game – Tony Greig, Ian Botham and somewhat bizarrely Gus Atkinson the others – and only the fifth time a captain from any nation has managed it.
Absence of Stokes the paceman hurts hosts on Day 4
Sadly for England, and perhaps crucially for India’s chances of saving the game, Stokes’ impact has not entirely been felt in positive ways. After apparently struggling with cramp at times during his innings with the bat, England’s captain did not appear fully fit when it was his side’s turn to field, and was conspicuously absent from the bowling lineup as the hosts pressed increasingly desperately for wickets.
Stokes has arguably made a case for being the standout bowler on either side in this series and indeed however you rank the pacemen of each team, has long been the man for England who can make things happen, seemingly bending the events of the match to his will. His loss would be a big one for the home side.
There was some optimism at the close of play from England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick that Stokes would be able to contribute on Day Five: “We are waiting to see, he is obviously stiff and sore, he has had a big workload in the last few weeks and obviously again in this game and had a bit of cramp while he was batting mainly yesterday.
“I think we are still hopeful that he will be better tomorrow once we come back out and be a bit looser and ready to go again but we will assess it over night and see what happens.”
However if Stokes is unable to contribute and England’s pace quartet is reduced to a trio the hosts look far less potent and the formality that victory once seemed in this game could increasingly fade from view.
That India go into the final day still contemplating the idea of a draw in this game, and keeping their series alive at the same time, comes down to the brilliance of KL Rahul and Shubman Gill , their unbroken stand of 174 has rescued them from the bleakest of starts and ensured a Test in this series will once again go to a fifth day.
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