Watch: Ben Stokes was dismissed for a record 12th time by R Ashwin in England’s second innings in Hyderabad when his off stump pegged back by a flighted ripper.
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England were battling to avoid a three-day defeat in the first Test of the series when Stokes came to the crease. At four wickets down, they still needed another 51 runs to make India bat again. Ashwin was immediately brought back on to bowl to Stokes, but was only able to get one ball at him in his first over before Stokes was able to take a single.
When Ashwin came back on in the following over, Stokes played out a maiden, in contrast to the rapid rate at which England had been scoring their runs previously. Ashwin’s next over was another maiden to Stokes, having beaten his outside edge with his first delivery and almost drawn him into offering a stumping chance. After a third maiden in a row, Ashwin finally got his man.
He flighted a delivery from round the wicket, pitching it on a full length which Stokes defended. The ball gripped just enough in the pitch to turn past Stokes’ outside edge and cannon into off stump, drawing a roar from Ashwin in celebration.
The dismissal took Stokes past David Warner as the batter dismissed by R Ashwin the most times in Test matches, and he now averages less than 20 against Ashwin (19.33). As well as overtaking Ashwin’s overtaking personal record, Ashwin was already the bowler who Stokes had been dismissed by the most times in his Test career, the next most successful being Nathan Lyon, who has dismissed Stokes nine times.
Watch: Ben Stokes bowled by R Ashwin below
📽️ R Ashwin to Ben Stokes
What a delivery 🙌#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @ashwinravi99 | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/sxBGnhmhl0
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 27, 2024
