Ben Stokes's 100th Test: Watch England captain's top five batting performances

Ben Stokes will make his 100th Test appearance when India and England square off at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on February 15. The star all-rounder made his debut in the longest format in 2013, featuring in an Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval. Since then, Stokes has racked up 6251 runs at an average of 36.34. He has been equally impressive with the ball, having 197 Test wickets under his belt. Stokes was appointed as the captain of the English Test side in 2022. Under his leadership, the Three Lions have triumphed in 14 of 20 Tests. Ahead of his milestone Test, let’s take a look at the top five performances of Stokes in red-ball cricket–

Stokes Vs Australia, Headingley 2019:

Stokes’ one of the best all-round performances came in a home Ashes Test in August 2019. England faced a batting collapse in their first innings as they were bundled out for 67 runs in reply to Australia’s 179. Stokes claimed a three-wicket haul during the visitors’ second innings. England had to chase a huge 359 runs when Stokes registered an unbeaten 135 off 219 balls. Riding on his boundary-laden knock, England won the match by one wicket.

Stokes Vs Australia, Lord’s 2023:

It was the second Test of the last year’s Ashes series. Australia set a fourth-innings target of 371 runs. Apart from Ben Duckett’s 83, there was no notable contribution from the English top-order batters. Stokes arrived at the crease when his team was reeling at 4/45. The skipper stitched a 100-plus partnership with Duckett, with England creeping back into the contest. The upcoming batters, however, failed to survive longer. Stokes whacked 9 boundaries and as many sixes during his 155-run innings but his efforts were not enough to change the course of the game.

Stokes Vs South Africa, Cape Town 2016:

On a batting-friendly surface, the match saw Stokes register the second-fastest double century in the history of Test cricket. The all-rounder scored a blistering 258 off 198 balls, a knock that comprised as many as 30 fours and 11 maximums. He also got the better of South African opener Dean Elgar in the subsequent innings. The hosts ultimately managed a draw in the high-scoring clash, thanks to a 201-run knock by Hasim Amla in their second innings.

Stokes Vs West Indies, Old Trafford 2020:

Stokes recorded his longest Test innings during a home game against the West Indies in Manchester back in 2020. He faced 356 balls to score 176 runs in England’s first innings. He replicated the form in the next innings to register an unbeaten 78. Stokes fetched two wickets when the West Indies were chasing a 312-run target. England ultimately won the match by 113 runs to level the three-match series.

Stokes Vs New Zealand, Lord’s 2015:

Following a disastrous World Cup campaign, England hosted New Zealand for a Test series. The opening game saw Stokes score a composed 92 when England were struggling at 4/30 in the first innings. The star all-rounder continued the momentum in the next innings to record the fastest-ever Test hundred at Lord’s. Stokes took only 85 balls to breach the triple-figure mark. He sent off Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum during the fourth-innings chase as New Zealand lost the match on the final day.