Ben Stokes Scripts History, Becomes First Captain In 42 Years To Achieve This MASSIVE Feat

After producing a remarkable bowling performance (5 for 72) in the first innings, Ben Stokes brought up his 14th century in Test cricket to script history.

Pic credit: IANS

England skipper Ben Stokes on Saturday created history after becoming the first captain in 42 years to score a century and take a five-wicket haul in the same Test match. Stokes achieved this massive milestone on Day 4 of the ongoing fourth Test between India and England at Old Trafford, Manchester.

After producing a remarkable bowling performance (5 for 72) in the first innings, Stokes brought up his 14th century in Test cricket to put England in a commanding position in the fourth Test. This was Stokes's first century in over two years. His last Test century came in June 2023 against Australia at Lord's.

The 34-year-old Stokes has now joined an elite group of captains, who have scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test match. Before him, only Denis Atkinson, Garry Sobers, Mushtaq Mohammad and Imran Khan had managed to achieve this special feat.

Captains To Hit A Century And Take Five-Wicket Haul In A Test Match

Denis Atkinson (WI) - 219* & 5/56 vs AUS, Barbados, 1955

Garry Sobers (WI) - 174 & 5/41 vs ENG, Leeds, 1966

Mushtaq Mohammad (PAK) - 121 & 5/28 vs WI, Port of Spain, 1977

Imran Khan (PAK) - 117, 6/98 & 5/82 vs IND, Faisalabad, 1983

Ben Stokes - 103* & 5/72 vs IND, Manchester, 2025

England Players To Hit A Century And Take Five-Wicket Haul In A Test Match

Tony Greig

Ian Botham

Gus Atkinson

Ben Stokes

Notably, this was the third Test hundred for Ben Stokes at Old Trafford, Manchester, He eventually got out to Ravindra Jadeja after scoring 141 off 198 deliveries.

Players To Score Three Or More Centuries In Manchester In Tests

Denis Compton (ENG)

Alastair Cook (ENG)

Gordon Greenidge (WI)

Alec Stewart (ENG)

Ben Stokes (ENG)

During his knock, Stokes also went past 7000 Test runs. He became only the third all-rounder in Test history -- after Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis -- to achieve the double of 7,000 runs and 200 wickets.

Players To Take 200+ Wickets And Score 7000+ Runs In Tests

Garry Sobers (WI) - 8032 runs & 235 wickets

Jacques Kallis (SA) - 13289 runs & 292 wickets

Ben Stokes (ENG) - 7005* runs & 229 wickets

Stokes' 141, along with Joe Root's majestic 150 and fifties from openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, powered England to a monumental 669 all out – their fifth-highest total in Tests and the second-highest against India after their 710/7 declared in Birmingham in 2011.

This was also England’s highest innings total ever recorded at Old Trafford, surpassing the previous record of 627/9 declared against Australia in 1934.