Ben Stokes hits century as England take stranglehold on India Test

Ben Stokes’ first Test century in two years propelled England towards their highest home total in the Bazball era as India were browbeaten at Emirates Old Trafford.

The England captain had been without a three-figure score since the 2023 Ashes but he turned his overnight 77 into 141 on the fourth morning of the penultimate Test as his side were all out for 669.

Only the 823 they amassed in Multan is a higher total under the leadership of Stokes and Brendon McCullum but the 157.1 overs they batted in Manchester represented the longest innings under the duo.

After Root’s 150 moved him up to second among all-time Test run-scorers on Friday, Stokes went past 7,000 himself. Only Stokes, Jacques Kallis and Sir Garfield Sobers have that many and 200-plus wickets.

He also joins Lord Botham, Tony Greig and Gus Atkinson as the only Englishmen to make a ton and take a five-wicket haul in the same match, as India, who went to lunch on one for two after Chris Woakes’ double strike, were ground into the dust.

Having struggled with cramp the previous evening, Stokes was put through his paces first thing, scampering through for a single, getting home despite Anshul Kamboj’s direct hit from mid-on.

Stokes smeared Mohammed Siraj twice through the covers but lost Liam Dawson for company after he was bowled by one that kept low from Jasprit Bumrah, having fended one off a length the ball before.

Stokes breezed to 99 but then played and missed at Bumrah, facing five more nervous dots before glancing Siraj off his pads for his ninth four and 14th Test ton, which he celebrated by removing his left glove and doing his crooked finger celebration, looking at the sky in memory of his father, Ged.

Stokes went to 7,000 Test runs in style by thrashing off-spinner Washington Sundar back over his head for six then reverse-sweeping him for four after England’s total had gone past 600.

Ravindra Jadeja was also carted for a couple of sixes before Stokes holed out while Carse did likewise in the slow left-arm spinner’s next over, leaving India a tricky 15-minute period to bat before lunch.

They were unable to emerge unscathed as Woakes squared up Yashasvi Jaiswal fourth ball, with Root initially unable to cling on but scooping the rebound just above the turf.

It got even better as Sai Sudharsan shaped to leave the next delivery but the ball took the edge and flew to Harry Brook.

While Shubman Gill survived the hat-trick ball after it hit his pad, with umpire Ahsan Raza ignoring optimistic appeals, India have it all to do to avoid a heavy defeat and stop England moving into an unassailable 3-1 series lead.