Until the dying stages of what is by now thought of as the greatest one-day game in cricket history, the possibility of being unable to split the teams after 100 overs seemed too distant to take seriously. Commentator Michael Atherton even made a joke about how unlikely it was after being relaid the information by a producer.

The information affected Stokes’ approach to the last ball, delivered by Trent Boult. Ordinarily, a shin-high full toss might be considered a ball he could hit anywhere. But, with a group-stage defeat by Bangladesh against India in his mind, Stokes made sure to at least not lose the game, rather than try and win it with a single big hit, achieving a single with a bunt down to long-on.

As with virtually every decision Stokes made that summer, it was the right one.