- By Himanshu Badola
- Fri, 08 Mar 2024 08:05 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India vs England 5th Test: Ben Stokes provided a promising moment for England as he bowled after a long while on the second day of the fifth Test against India at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Friday, March 8.
England's assistant coach Jeetan Patel feels that all stars aligned for Stokes to come up with a magical delivery on his return to bowling.
ALSO READ: Shubman Gill Expresses Feeling On Playing In Front Of His Father
Straight after lunch on the second day, Stokes dismissed Rohit Sharma with a stunning delivery for 103 on the very first ball he bowled in competitive cricket after nine months.
Stokes, who had been bowling only in the nets thus far, finally decided to roll his arm over in a match situation after England's massive struggle in the morning session.
ALSO READ: IND vs ENG 5th Test Day 2 Report
He had stopped bowling owing to a knee injury and had undergone surgery last year.
Bowling the second over of the afternoon session, Stokes produced a peach that seamed away a touch from good length to dislodge Rohit's off-stump.
"He's (Stokes) a freak. It was almost written in the stars that he was going to bowl a jaffa first up and get Rohit Sharma out who was on 100. We all know how we can round our attack out, especially in conditions like these where you've usually got two spinners, two-seamers, and then you want your third in Stokesy.
"It was nice to see him back at the crease but we've just got to be careful we don't push him too far, it's still early days for him. I'm sure he'll rest up tonight, get some ice on it, and see where it fronts tomorrow," said the former New Zealand spinner.
The whole crowd including England's dressing room was left stunned after Stokes came to bowl and his success on the first ball added to everyone's surprise.
"A little bit of amazement, a little bit written in the stars, a lot of people laughing. It's quite funny because he came on to bowl when the English crowds are waking up - they're flicking on the TV and the first thing they see is Ben Stokes bowling a really good delivery to Rohit Sharma.
"It's so nice to see him back; he's got better and better with his bowling skills (in the nets) over the tour so that's a huge positive for us. There's a lot of cricket to be played this year so it will be nice to have him back at the crease," said Patel.
Despite the positive news regarding Stokes, India dominated the day as they reached 473/8, taking a lead of 255 runs on the back of centuries from Rohit (103) and Shubman Gill (110).
The debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65) and Sarfaraz Khan (56) scored respective half-centuries before India witnessed a batting collapse.
The hosts, however, have Kuldeep Yadav (27) and Jasprit Bumrah (19) at the crease and the duo already has added 45 runs for the ninth wicket.