Manchester [UK], July 22 : As the fourth Test against India draws closer, England skipper Ben Stokes will be aiming to get a big score under his belt and regain his form, despite securing a 'Player of the Match' award for his crucial all-round dominance at Lord's during the third Test.
With England heading to Manchester's Old Trafford Stadium with a 2-1 lead, the hosts will be hoping that 'Big Match Stokes', who has been exceptional and all-guns-blazing with the ball, shows up with the bat as well.
In three matches during the ongoing home series, Stokes has scored 163 runs in six innings at an average of 27.16, with a best score of 44. While a big score continues to elude him, he is England's highest-wicket-taking bowler, with 11 scalps at an average of 29.45 and best bowling figures of 4/66.
Since the last 17 Tests over the last one and a half years or so, Stokes has scored just 774 runs in 30 innings at a sub-par average of 27.64, with just five fifties and a best score of 83 to his name.
Ben is indeed a man of big moments, be it his 84* against New Zealand in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, his half-century during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 or his lone-warrior effort of 135* at Headingley back in 2019, Stokes has had multiple instances of winning big matches for his side and guiding them to trophies.
With the series' future to be decided at Old Trafford, this is another occasion that calls for a Stokes' special. He has a fine record at the venue, scoring 579 runs in eight Tests and 12 innings at an average of 52.63, with two centuries and three fifties. His best score is 176. With the ball, he has 11 wickets at an average of 27.54, with best figures of 27.54.
He is also 61 runs short of securing the milestone of 11,000 international runs, which only 10 Englishmen have got the privilege to have attained. In 271 international matches, he has scored 10,939 runs at an average of 35.63, with 18 centuries and 60 fifties, with his best score being 258.
Will England witness their miracle man score a big one at Old Trafford and snap his run drought?
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