Watch: KL Rahul Falls Ben Stokes’s ‘uncontrolled’ ball – Stuart Broad explains why it was special. Cricket news

England captain Ben Stokes gave a match-turning performance on 5 of the fourth Test against India, in which KL Rahul was dismissed for 90 runs despite bowling with visible inconvenience. The important wicket broke India’s third wicket partnership of the third wicket of 188 runs and shifted the pace in England’s favor during Sunday’s play. Stokes, who had already claimed five wickets in India’s first innings, was unable to bowl for the first 63 overs of India’s second innings on Saturday due to fitness concerns. However, he brought himself into an attack on Sunday morning when India resumed at 174–2. The influence of the England all-rounder was immediate as he had trapped Rahul leg with a delivery before the wicket, which kept a sufficient partnership that had developed after India, decreased by 0–2 in his innings. Former England bowler Stuart Broad provided a detailed analysis of Stokes’ bowling performance on Gehotstar, highlighting technical aspects that made him particularly effective against Indian batsmen. “I don’t think India is playing Ben Stokes the Man – he is Ben Stokes the Baller, and now, he is bowling brilliantly. He is not a person who needs to change his mindset, but the fact that he is the most effective bowler of England at this time. Today, he gave both low and high bounces, which is very difficult to settle,” Brahm said. The ineffective nature of delivery that widely rejected Rahul was emphasized: “For example, take KL Rahul’s dismissal – there is no way that you could not play that ball. From that length, keeping it short, it was really unexpected. He is just in rhythm, he is just in rhythm, balling outstanding delivery. And you are rarely looking at a batsman for an LBW without checking – but what really has happened. It says how fair and confident the decision was., Former England Paer praised Stokes’s overall contribution in the match: “Stokes has an incredible impact on the game – wickets for one hundred, and then a major wicket this morning. He is one of the players who only rise for big moments, and today was another example.” The dismissal proved to be particularly important as it came to a significant turn when India was building speed in its second innings. Rahul and his batting partner successfully stabilized the Indian innings after the initial loss of two wickets.

Stokes’ performance was made more remarkable than the fact that he was clearly struggling with physical inconvenience during his bowling. Despite these limitations, he managed to maintain his effectiveness and provide a significant success for his team. England captain’s intervention demonstrated his ability to influence important moments in the match, already made sufficient impact with India’s five wickets in the first innings. Despite not being fully fit, his decision to bring himself into an attack proved to be a strategic masterstroke. The partnership between Gill and Rahul, which began when India was uncertainly placed at 0–2, increased to 188 runs before Stokes’ intervention. The wicket represented a significant change in the speed of the match and exposed the value of Stokes as both a captain and a bowler.