It was always going to be a six, wasn’t it? Ben Stokes doesn’t do quiet milestones. On Day 3 in Manchester, England’s talisman registered 7000 Test runs in a fashion we have all come to know and love – by sending the ball deep into the stands. But this was not just about the numbers – with that sweet swing of the bat, Stokes joined a very select group: Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis. Only those three have ever achieved the unique double of 7000 Test runs & 200 wickets. This is not just an elite company. This is cricket royalty.
From Grit to Glory: The Stokes Blueprint
If you were scripting a Ben Stokes performance, you’d probably be trolled out of the writer’s office for being too dramatic. But here he is – 34 years old, cramping, off the field, back on the field, raising his bat in front of a raucous Old Trafford. It is classic Stokes – resilient, theatrical – one of the most brilliant players to turn a match in its direction.
And this wasn’t just any hundred. A long time coming – since the Ashes in 2023, to be precise! The innings serves as a reminder for supporters (and perhaps for Stokes himself) that class does not disappear; it only takes a back seat every once in a while. His captaincy stint of late may have taken the spotlight a notch, but this innings served as a stark reminder that he is still one of the best match-winners playing the game, and doing so in a pressure Test against India was even more fulfilling.
Numbers That Tell a Bigger Story
Cricket is a numbers game. But this specific number – 7000 runs and 200 wickets – is more than just a spreadsheet flex. The value of the number is not in the number itself but instead represents Stokes’ durability, versatility, and ability to change the game. Most modern all-rounders like Jacques Kallis and Ravi Shastri were able to have far greater impact with one discipline than the other, but Stokes has always made a significant impact with bat and ball.
His first-innings five-for against India wasn’t just building statistical weight but also stopped the Chennai momentum and kept the match firmly in England’s hands. We haven’t seen a person change the course of a Test match with huge contributions with bat and ball since the peak of Jacques Kallis. Stokes is no less impressive than Sobers and Kallis, who did it as a result of their grace and majesty.
England’s Veterans Keep the Engine Running
Stokes wasn’t the only one lighting up Manchester. Joe Root’s incredible run-scoring journey has taken him past Dravid, Kallis, and Ponting—now second only in Test history. Pause for a moment—Joe Root now trails only Sachin Tendulkar in Test runs.
For more than ten years, Root and Stokes have been the driving force behind this English side. Whereas Root plays with elegance, Stokes defies convention, writing scripts and flipping with panache. This latest instalment adds legacy to both, and even better, has tipped the series firmly in the direction of England with a 2-1 lead.
Ben Stokes has now entered statistical company with several cricket legends, but don’t expect him just to put his feet up and enjoy it. His career may have farewell milestones now, but it is moments like this – pushing through pain, carrying your team, and over-delivering at important times in the game – that will mean so much more to him.
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