India took control of the game on Day 2 in Dharamsala, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill dominating the English bowlers to reach their centuries before lunch and surpass England’s total of 218 with nine wickets in hand.
As desperation set in for the visitors, skipper Ben Stokes recognized that their only chance of a comeback rested on his shoulders.
Despite undergoing knee surgery before the tour, Stokes took off his jumper after the break and marked his run-up, making his first professional appearance as a bowler since the second Ashes Test last summer. The atmosphere was electric.
Stokes, known for his medium pace, charged in with determination, delivering a back-of-length ball on off stump that had Rohit on the backfoot. The ball straightened slightly after pitching, beating Rohit’s outside edge and sending the stumps flying. While Stokes remained composed, others on the field couldn’t contain their astonishment.
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Coach Brendon McCullum and opener Zak Crawley covered their mouths in disbelief, while Mark Wood’s grin stretched from ear to ear as he held his head in amazement. The rest of the players mirrored their awe, a stark contrast to the gloom that had prevailed earlier in the day.