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Stokes strikes as England finally see off India's KL Rahul in fourth Test / Photo: © AFP
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Stokes strikes as England finally see off India's KL Rahul in fourth Test
England captain Ben Stokes made a much-needed breakthrough for his side on Sunday's final day of the fourth Test against India by dismissing KL Rahul despite appearing to be less than fully fit.
The match had already been a personal triumph for the all-rounder after he became just the fourth England cricketer to score a hundred and take five wickets in the same Test.
Stokes made 141 -- his first Test century in more than two years -- in England's mammoth 669 following a return of 5-72 in India's first-innings 358.
This match has also seen Stokes become just the third cricketer in Test history to score 7,000 runs and take 200 wickets after West Indies Garry Sobers and South Africa's Jacques Kallis.
But Stokes, who suffered from cramp while batting, did not bowl at all during the 63 overs India faced their second innings on Saturday's fourth day as they recovered from 0-2 to 174-2 at stumps, still a deficit of 137 runs.
Rahul was 87 not out at Saturday's close, with skipper Shubman Gill 78 not out.
Stokes was also seen repeatedly clutching the top of his leg, having had surgery on his left hamstring at the start of this year.
But with England pressing for a win that would give them an unassailable 3-1 lead in this five-match series ahead of next week's finale at the Oval, Stokes brought himself on to bowl at the start of Sunday's play.
Already the leading bowler on either side this series with 16 wickets at 24.75, Stokes almost had Gill caught for 81 by a leaping Ollie Pope at short cover.
But the inspirational captain did separate India's stubborn second-wicket duo when he had Rahul, in sight of his third century of the series, plumb lbw for 90 with a nip-back ball that kept a touch low.
Rahul had batted for over five hours, facing 230 balls, but India were now 188-3.
Fast-medium bowler Stokes, still grabbing the top of his left leg on occasion as well as his right shoulder, then somehow defied a docile surface when a rising delivery popped off a good length to rap Gill, then on 90, on the thumb before deflecting into the side of the batsman's helmet.
Gill, who has already scored three hundreds in his first series as India captain, needed several minutes' on-field treatment before resuming his innings.
Stokes bowled an unchanged spell of 1-12 in eight overs until the advent of the new ball.
Chris Woakes, who had reduced India to 0-2 in the first over of the innings, then came back on with India 198-3 off 80 overs.
B.Turner--SFF
