In the fourth Test against India at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday, July 27, Ben Stokes had a great day with both bat and ball. The 34-year-old took 5 for 72 in the first innings and 141 from 198 balls. In the second innings he bowled 11 overs and got KL Rahul (90). Stokes’ all-round performance at Old Trafford earned him the Player of the Match award, his 12th in Test cricket. Joe Root is the only Englishman with more at 13 in 157 Tests.
Most Player of the Match awards in Tests for England:
| Player | Man of the Match Awards |
|---|---|
| Joe Root | 13 |
| Ian Botham | 12 |
| Ben Stokes | 12 |
| Kevin Pietersen | 10 |
| Stuart Broad | 10 |
Stokes’ century and five-wicket haul in the first innings made him the first English and fifth overall captain to score a century and take five wickets in the same Test. Stokes has 304 runs and 17 wickets in the series. He is the first England captain to get 300-plus runs and 15-plus wickets in a series. The last England player to do this in a series was Andrew Flintoff in Ashes 2005.
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What happened in the match?
India managed to draw the Test at Old Trafford on the final day due to centuries from Ravindra Jadeja (107*) and Washington Sundar (101*). At one point India looked like they would lose, giving up a 311-run lead and both openers getting ducks. But then Shubman Gill (103) and KL Rahul (90) added 188 runs before Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer fought back in the morning. Jadeja and Washington then batted through two sessions and added 200 runs to save the game. England were frustrated and Stokes was annoyed while India were playing for personal milestones. This was England’s second draw in 40 Tests under the Bazball era. The series is now level and heads to The Oval on July 31.
