England skipper Ben Stokes has been the difference maker for his side in the Test series against India and he did it once again on day 5 of the 4th match on Sunday when he broke the resistance of the visitors, sending back a well-set KL Rahul for 90 runs. The feat was even more impressive with Stokes bowling with some sort of discomfort in the match.
His former teammate Stuart Broad lauded the England captain, explaining how the allrounder snared Rahul and turned the match around in favour of the hosts.
“I don’t think India are playing Ben Stokes the man—they’re playing Ben Stokes the bowler, and right now, he’s bowling superbly. He’s not someone they need to change their mindset for, but the fact is, he’s England’s most effective bowler at the moment. Today, he generated both low and high bounce, which makes it extremely difficult for batters to settle,” Broad said on JioHotstar.
“Take KL Rahul’s dismissal for instance—there’s no way you could have played that ball. From that length, with it keeping low, it was virtually unplayable. He’s just in rhythm, bowling outstanding deliveries. And you rarely see a batter walk off for an LBW without even checking—but that’s exactly what happened. It speaks to how fair and convincing the decision was. Stokes has had an incredible impact on this game—five wickets for a hundred, and then a key wicket this morning. He’s one of those players who just rises to big moments, and today was another example,” he added.
Stokes, who took five wickets in India’s first innings but was not fit to bowl in the tourists’ first 63 overs of their second on Saturday, brought himself into the attack on Sunday morning with India resuming on 174-2.
The move paid dividends as Stokes, still feeling the effects of several injuries, trapped Rahul leg before wicket for 90, ending the third-wicket partnership — India having been 0-2 when Gill and Rahul came to the crease — at 188.
