Ben Stokes, the England captain, got his first golden duck in Test cricket. Facing India on Day 3 of the Edgbaston Test, Stokes came to the crease after Joe Root was out. On his first ball, Mohammed Siraj bowled a fast, rising delivery that Stokes edged with his gloves. The ball went straight to Rishabh Pant, the wicket-keeper. This dismissal in the 22nd over left England in trouble at 84/5.
Stokes also has the less than ideal record of the most single-digit scores as captain since May 2022, when the Bazball era began. The England captain now has 16 single-digit scores during that time, two more than former West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite. After Stokes’s dismissal, Rohit Sharma, Najmul Shanto, and Andrew Balbirnie are third, fourth, and fifth on the list, respectively. The 303-run partnership brought England back into the match. Despite losing five wickets, the young pair kept up their aggressive style and helped England close the gap.
The Indian bowlers struggled for much of the time, but after Brook was out, wickets started falling quickly. Six England batters were dismissed for a duck, the most ducks for England in a single Test innings in their history. Brook initially led the charge, scoring a key 158 runs, but it was Smith’s Bazball approach that took off the pressure. Meanwhile, India’s Mohammed Siraj performed well in the third session on Day 3, finishing with six wickets. It’s interesting to note that India has never lost a Test when Siraj has taken five or more wickets. They have won twice, and one match ended in a draw.