MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Ben Stokes scored his 14th test century as England ran up a 311-run lead in the fourth test against India on Saturday, with India then losing two wickets in the first over to go to lunch at 1-2.
The England captain had a brilliant all-round performance with his 141 coming after he’d taken five wickets in India’s first innings at Old Trafford.
The hosts were all out for 669 in their first innings in Manchester, followed by Chris Woakes’ double strike and a hat-trick chance.
Yashasvi Jaiswal went for a duck after just four balls of India’s second innings, caught by Joe Root. And it was even worse for Sai Sudharsan, going for a golden duck when caught by Harry Brook.
It was an awful start for India, which looks likely to lose the test and the five-match series, which it trails 2-1, after a thrilling start to the day.
The 34-year-old Stokes enthralled the crowd with his spectacular batting — scoring his first test century in two years, including three sixes. After reaching his century, he took off his helmet, looked up to the sky and then raised his bat to acknowledge all ends of the crowd.
With it, he became the fourth different England player to get five wickets and a century in a test innings.
Having resumed on 544-7, England was determined to pile the pressure on India and Stokes was at the heart of it – supported by Liam Dawson (26) and Brydon Carse (47).
Stokes was eventually caught by Sudharsan off Ravindra Jadeja, who finished the innings with four wickets.
But a troubled morning got even worse for India after a desperate start to its second innings, leaving it 310 behind.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
James Robson, The Associated Press
