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Ben Stokes breaks pinky promise, takes first ball wicket

Ben Stokes breaks pinky promise, takes first ball wicket

Ben Stokes, who hadn’t bowled before the second over post Lunch on Day 2 in the India vs England 5th Test in Dharamsala, picked up a wicket off a wicket of his very first ball in the series. The wicket was of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma who was batting on 103. He broke the promise he had made to England physio Ben Davies not to bowl on this tour.


Stokes, who came on the bowl in the second over after Lunch on Day 2 inspired his team with the first ball wicket and courtesy of that, James Anderson, who had been wicketless in this Test so far, also bowled a brilliant ball to go through the defences of Shubman Gill and get the second wicket for England.


Chances go begging

Stokes did not stop after getting Riohit out. He also got an edge off debutant Devdutt Padikkal’s willow, but there was no second slip and it went for a four to third-man. In his next over, Stokes got a caught-and-bowled chance and dropped Sarfaraz Khan in his follow-through. However, it was confirmed to be a no-ball by the third umpire. Another edge followed and it went in an empty second slip region again. So far, Stokes has bowled 138 no-balls in 102 Tests.

READ: IND vs ENG: Scintillating Shubman, riveting Rohit dazzle in Dharamsala


After how many Tests did Stokes bowl?


Stokes, who ahead of this series had said that he had done a pinky p[romise to his physio not to bowl, had taken up the red cherry in his hand after England were unable to pick a wicket in an entire session for the first time in the five-match series, which they trail 1-3.


The Durham man last bowled in a Test was in June 2023 at Lord’s. After a seven-match gap, the English skipper decided to break the promise with his physio.


Earlier, ahead of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, Stokes had said, “I’ve pinky promised my physio I won’t be loosening up to bowl even if everything is feeling well because that would just be a risk that’s not worth it.”

First Published: Mar 08 2024 | 1:22 PM IST

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