WATCH: England's Ben Stokes bowls India captain Rohit Sharma with first ball in 251 days

With the tourists in desperate need, the skipper bowled for the first time since last year's Ashes - since which he has undergone knee surgery - and made a dramatic impact in Dharamsala

Nick Howson | 08/03/2024 at 07:43

Ben Stokes made a "pinky promise" to England physiotherapist Ben Davies that he would not be bowling during the India Test series.

Surgery on a long-standing chronic knee injury in November had risked his involvement from the start of the series, with his capacity to bowl viewed as unforeseeable.

But there have been signs in recent weeks that, as India took a grip and eventually won the five-Test series with a game to spare, that Stokes was ready to make a return ahead of schedule.

He was seen bowling off two paces as early as February 1, ahead of the second Test, and talked up returning as an allrounder in Ranchi, his 100th, but eventually resisted as the hosts ran out winners by five wickets to secure an unassailable 3-1 series lead.

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It was Stokes' first outing with the ball since the Lord's Ashes Test eight months ago (IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Dominance across the first four sessions of the fifth Test had left India in a strong position to cement their authority, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill hitting centuries to secure a commanding lead.

The advantage had extended to 57 following the first over after lunch when Stokes, who was seen warming up before the break, took the ball for the first time since last summer's Lord's Ashes Test against Australia.

And with his first delivery, 251 since his last to Nathan Lyon on July 1, 2023, he got the ball to crash into Rohit's offstump.

Head coach Brendon McCullum and assistant Paul Collingwood were seen chuckling while the celebrations unfolded on the outfield.

Watch Ben Stokes' dismissal of Rohit Sharma here:

Ben Stokes' first ball = wicket ☝️#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/RCmOilwNii
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) March 8, 2024

Speaking on TNT Sports, Steven Finn said: "Truly remarkable isn't it? You can't write it and nobody there can actually believe it either - players with hands over their mouths or hands on their head.

"Coach Brendon McCullum shaking his head as well. What an absolute beauty. To have not bowled in cricket at all for the last 12 months to have knee surgery his first ball back is an absolute ripper to remove his counterpart Rohit Sharma. If anyone was going to do it, it was Ben Stokes.

He added: "The talismanic Ben Stokes is back. I think it highlights his importance to the team as an all-rounder batting at No.6.

"Things happen when he gets the ball in his hand. Rohit Sharma had cruised to 103 not out and it is an absolute ripper. He is right on the money and as soon as that wicket is taken England's body language is up."

George Dobell will be providing full analysis and reaction from day two of the fifth Test

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