India vs England | One hour of Ben Stokes in Manchester: One shoulder, one spell, one statement | Cricket News – Times of India

TimesofIndia.com in Manchester: 8-2-11-1. Forty-eight eventful deliveries, one massive wicket of KL Rahul, and nearly the dismissal of Shubman Gill, Enland captain Ben Stokes on Sunday placed on a spectacle, not simply one other present, at Old Trafford on an overcast Day 5 morning of the Manchester Test.He continuously rubbed his shoulder, clutched his hamstring, felt stiffness in the bicep of his bowling arm, and grimaced in ache each over, but saved charging in throughout what turned out to be a gripping passage of play.Operating from the Sir James Anderson End, Stokes—who introduced himself on in the second over of the day—instantly recognized the variable zone and relentlessly focused it from extensive of the crease. The angle and the methods supplied by the pitch made life tough for the in a single day pair of Rahul and Gill. Some deliveries saved alarmingly low, whereas others reared awkwardly off an excellent size.The proper-handers struggled to take care of the angle and two-paced bounce, which finally led to Rahul’s dismissal. The ball jagged again sharply after pitching, and the low bounce trapped Rahul plumb in entrance. Stokes was elated, forgetting all his niggles in that second. He leapt in celebration however held again barely, letting out a restrained fist pump.With spring in his stride, the England captain wasn’t able to ease off. He might sense one other wicket coming with the stress he was constructing. India seemed tentative—Gill had already survived an in depth likelihood and brought a painful blow to his proper thumb. After Rahul’s exit, Gill was the massive fish, and Stokes was decided to take away him. So a lot in order that he bowled an eight-over spell earlier than handing over to the pacers armed with the second new ball.Before Day 5, there had been many questions surrounding whether or not Stokes would bowl in any respect. But he appeared locked in, prepared to present it every little thing. That spirited spell not solely broke a cussed partnership but in addition saved Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes, and Brydon Carse contemporary for a later burst with the brand new ball. Considering his already immense workload in the sequence—together with a 5-wicket haul and a century at Lord’s, adopted by two days of mattress relaxation—Stokes needed to dig deep into his reserves for that effort.Across 5 days, he barely left the sphere, continuously difficult the opposition with bat and ball. His depth by no means dropped. At a time when participant workload is a trending concern, Stokes has seemingly erased the phrase from his vocabulary. In this ongoing battle of I vs Me vs India, Ben Stokes stays the true winner.