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England's Test team skipper Ben Stokes stands on the verge of a significant milestone as he prepares to play his 100th Test match. This milestone looms as he prepares for the Rajkot Test against India following their recent loss in Visakhapatnam.
As England seeks to rebound, Stokes is poised to join an elite club of players who have represented their nation in 100 Test matches, a club that includes cricketing icons such as Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Virat Kohli. He will also join esteemed English cricketers like Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson, and Stuart Broad as the 74th cricketer and the 16th Englishman to achieve this feat.
Stokes's journey, unfolding in the ongoing Test series against India, highlights his dedication and flair, not only in limited-overs cricket but also in the traditional format. Despite undergoing knee surgery just months ago, his determination was evident as he took the field in Hyderabad for the first Test against India.
His leadership and performance in the early Tests, especially in the triumphant opening match, provide insights into his potential iconic Test career, motivating cricketers globally.
Ben Stokes's Top 5 Test Performances
England vs Australia, Perth - 2013
Playing in his debut Ashes series is considered a significant achievement by many. Stokes' standout performance in only his second Test match for England also garnered attention from the cricketing world.
Despite England facing a whitewash in the 2013/14 Ashes series, Stokes' emergence as a talented player was a positive outcome. In the second Test in Perth, Stokes, then a newcomer to the team, demonstrated his skills while senior players struggled. At 22, the English all-rounder notched up his first international Test century in England's second innings, scoring an impressive 120 runs from 195 balls.
In addition to his batting skills, Stokes also took three wickets across his two bowling spells. However, despite his strong performance, it was not sufficient for England to secure victory as Australia won the match against England by 150 runs.
England vs New Zealand, Lord's - 2015
In his 10th Test match for England, Stokes, widely recognised as one of the world's top all-rounders, made a lasting impact in both innings, making history.
In the first innings, Stokes, alongside Joe Root, orchestrated a remarkable recovery for England from a precarious position of 30/4 on Day 1. With aggressive stroke play, he scored an impressive 92 runs off 94 balls, playing a crucial role in lifting England to a formidable total of 389 runs.
In the second innings, Stokes continued his outstanding performance, scoring another 101 runs off 92 balls. In addition to his batting heroics, he also excelled with the ball, claiming a three-wicket haul during England's bowling effort.
England vs South Africa, Cape Town - 2016
During this match, Ben Stokes elevated his status even further by scoring his maiden double-century in the first innings against a struggling South Africa side. Stokes amassed an impressive 258 runs off just 198 balls, including 30 boundaries and 11 sixes.
His innings ranked as the 13th-highest individual score by an England player in Test cricket history. Combined with another outstanding performance of 150 runs off 191 balls by Johnny Bairstow, England reached a remarkable total of 629/6 declared.
The match unfolded as one of the most extraordinary Tests witnessed in the past decade, with South Africa falling agonisingly short by just two runs of England's total, eventually settling for a draw on the final day of the match.
England vs India, Rajkot - 2016
The current England captain Ben Stokes aims to replicate a similar performance in the third Test against India as he did during the 2016 Test against the same opposition, and at the same stadium in Rajkot.
Stokes delivered another impressive innings with an initial score of 128 off 235 balls, contributing to his team's massive total of 537 runs. While there were other notable English batters in the match, Stokes' innings provided England with the necessary balance to navigate through their first innings carefully.
Once again, despite Stokes's contribution, England failed to capitalise on the momentum as a superb partnership between Indian batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay resulted in another draw for England.
England vs Australia, Leeds - 2019
Often hailed as one of Stokes's greatest innings, his performance in the 2019 Ashes kept him in the sports headlines for days to follow.
In the first innings, Ben Stokes displayed his bowling skills in a brief spell. The Englishman took the vital wicket of Australian batter Marcus Labuschagne, who was batting at 74 off 129 balls and posed a significant threat to his team's innings total.
During England's second innings, Stokes once again showcased his bowling prowess by securing three crucial wickets. This prevented a strong Australian batting lineup from gaining an advantage in the game.
To top it off, Stokes's exceptional unbeaten innings of 135 runs off 218 balls, amid the collapse of most other England batters, propelled his team to a remarkable victory in the match.
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