Stokes Achieves Milestone at Headingley Test

LEEDS: Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, accomplished a notable feat on Monday, becoming only the third English captain to secure 50 Test wickets while leading the team.

Stokes achieved this milestone by dismissing Sai Sudharsan during India’s second innings in the first Test at Headingley. In India’s initial innings, he previously took four wickets for 66 runs across 20 overs, increasing his match total to five wickets.

With this achievement, Stokes joins an exclusive group that includes Ray Illingworth and Bob Willis. Illingworth was the first England captain to achieve this milestone, claiming 51 wickets in 31 Tests, averaging 35.96, with one five-wicket haul.

Bob Willis leads the list with an impressive 77 wickets in just 18 Tests as captain, boasting an exceptional bowling average of 21.59 and three five-wicket hauls.

Recognized as a leading all-rounder in contemporary cricket, Stokes is also approaching several batting milestones.

He requires just 254 more runs to become the first England captain to score 2,000 Test runs and secure 50 wickets while captaining the team – a significant double that would further emphasize his remarkable all-around contribution.

Additionally, Stokes is close to another significant career achievement. He needs only 272 more runs to reach 7,000 Test runs overall, making him the 13th Englishman to achieve this milestone in the game’s longest format.

Meanwhile, in the ongoing match, England’s opening batsmen, Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, forged an unbroken 21-run partnership after centuries from Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul helped India establish a formidable 371-run target on the first Test’s penultimate day at Headingley.

Duckett and Crawley, remaining unbeaten on nine and 12 respectively, will continue England’s chase on the final day, with all possible outcomes still in play.