Ben Stokes produced a match-defining all-round performance on Day 4 of the fourth Test at Old Trafford, scoring a commanding 141 and adding a five-wicket haul to become the first England captain ever to achieve a century and five wickets in the same match. The feat places him alongside legendary all-rounders like Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis, underlining his status as one of the modern greats. His innings also pushed him past 7,000 career Test runs, making him only the third player in history to combine that milestone with over 200 wickets.
England’s innings of 669, their highest at Old Trafford, was built around Stokes’ brilliance and Joe Root’s masterclass. Root struck 150 to climb to second place on the all-time Test run-scorers list and became the first player to reach 1,000 career Test runs at the venue. Contributions from the middle and lower order, including Brydon Carse’s aggressive 47, ensured England built a formidable 311-run lead.
India’s second innings began disastrously when Chris Woakes removed both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan with the first two balls, reducing them to 0 for 2. Facing a potential collapse, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul mounted a fightback, stitching together a composed 131-run stand that stabilized the innings and brought some hope back into the dressing room. Gill reached an elegant 71 not out while Rahul stood firm on 70 not out as India finished the day at 150 for 2, still trailing heavily.
Stokes’ day was not just about numbers; it was about impact. His innings turned the momentum firmly towards England, and his five wickets earlier had dismantled India’s first-innings resistance. The combination of leadership, bat, and ball made this one of the finest all-round displays by an England captain in modern history.
With England leading the five-match series 2–1, the victory in this Test would seal the series with one game to spare. For India, the task ahead is monumental: erase a 311-run deficit against a disciplined English attack on a pitch offering movement and bounce. The Gill-Rahul partnership provided a glimmer of resistance, but the road to survival is steep.
The match, running from July 23 to 27, has already seen records tumble and individual brilliance shine. Day 5 will decide whether England can convert their dominance into a decisive win or if India can produce a miraculous turnaround to keep the series alive. Stokes’ heroics, however, have already etched this Test into the history books as a defining moment in the series and his captaincy.