The England skipper decided to step up with the ball in the series finale in Dharamsala.
While Stokes didn't take up the task in the first four Tests, he decided to step up with the ball in the series finale in Dharamsala when the visitors desperately needed a breakthrough.
Stokes’ decision proved to be decisive straightaway as he knocked over his Indian counterpart Rohit Sharma with a peach of a delivery.
Rohit was batting on 103 and had already stitched a 171-run partnership with Shubman Gill, who also notched up his century during the opening session on Day 2.
Sensing the urgency, Stokes opted to bowl in the 62nd over and shattered Rohit's stumps with his very first delivery since June 2023.
While the all-rounder wasn’t overjoyed with the wicket, his teammates were in awe. The delivery seamed away off the pitch and hit the top of off, prompting Sanjay Manjrekar to say a “magic ball” on-air.
England speedster Mark Wood was left awestruck as he put his hands over his mouth, while head coach Brendon McCullum buried his face in shock in the dressing room.
Here’s the video:
Soon after Rohit’s dismissal, India also lost Shubman Gill. Veteran pacer James Anderson got rid of Gill for 110. However, the Rohit-Gill partnership put India in a commanding position in the fifth Test.
At the time of writing this article, the hosts were 370/3 after 82 overs, extending their lead to 152 runs. Debutant Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan were unbeaten in the middle for India, approaching their half-centuries.