Who writes your scripts? So asked Graham Gooch of Ian Botham at the Oval in 1986 after the all-rounder picked up a wicket with his first ball back in Test cricket after a 63-day ban for admitting to smoking dope.
This was one of many scene-stealing moments in Botham’s outstanding career, making New Zealand’s Bruce Edgar Test victim No 355 and, therefore, equalling Dennis Lillee’s world record before, just 11 balls later, making it his own when Jeff Crowe (match referee for this current series with India) was pinned lbw with a ball that jagged back in.
For Ben Stokes at Trent Bridge on Saturday, however – in what was his first appearance for England since being acquitted of affray during the week – the script looked to be heading more towards the Mrs Brown’s Boys end of the spectrum rather than a Shakespearean epic; a day of much energy but few smiles as his bowling went wicketless and Virat Kohli looked to be reasserting himself as the headline act.
But then, with around 45 minutes remaining, Stokes made an impact. Kohli, eyeing Test century No 23, went to get there with an expansive drive off Adil Rashid, only to edge the ball to the all-rounder at first slip. A regulation pouch it may have been but the guttural and fist-clenched roar that followed was clearly a moment of catharsis for a player who is scarcely out of the spotlight for long.
It had been looking like rather a damp squib from Stokes after a feverish buildup to the third Test; one of high drama as, less than two hours after a jury cleared him at Bristol crown court, England restored their talisman to the squad before two days of training, press conferences and much debate.
Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, suggested some public contrition may be sensible, while Joe Root spoke of the “toughest selection” of his captaincy to date on confirming his XI and the news that Stokes was in and Sam Curran, through little fault of his own, would be carrying the drinks before returning to Surrey’s ranks.
During act one – the morning session in this rather strung-out simile – a newcomer to the sport would scarcely have known Stokes was a cricketer of topical significance when he came on to bowl in the 10th over from the Pavilion End.
There were neither raucous cheers for a returning hero, nor jeers for a villain, just polite applause from a sold-out Trent Bridge. And this remained the case throughout proceedings, even when the alcohol levels increased.
Like the much-discussed incident in Bristol, there was a bouncer at the start, with Stokes going short to KL Rahul – a similarly tattooed individual – but finding the opener able to turn this into leg for a single. Then came the first one out of the middle, as Shikhar Dhawan cut a second half-tracker square for four.
In the following over, suddenly physical contact occurred between Stokes and the left-hander; a nudge of shoulders during a scrambled single before Dhawan put a friendly arm around Stokes, who winked back in return.
Doubtless the senior suits at England and Wales Cricket Board who sanctioned his swift return were relieved.
The main excitement during Stokes’s initial seven-over burst – one of some rustiness and nearly 50% short – came from the bowler at the other end, with England’s more clean-cut all-rounder, Chris Woakes, claiming the first two of his three victims before lunch.
Though this is only their third Test together at home, the pair’s stories have been very much intertwined since their respective Test debuts in 2013 and while Stokes may always grab more attention here was the latest reminder, after last week’s century at Lord’s, that England have a Brummie Botham too.
Act two was all about India, as Root’s decision at the toss began to look less sound. Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, captain and deputy, withstood England’s bowlers, enjoyed the reduction in swing and put on 107 for the session to match their entire first innings total at Lord’s.
Stokes was restricted to a couple of two-over bursts as an enforcer, the first of which resulted in Rahane nearly edging to Keaton Jennings at third slip, but leaked 16 runs, such that Root was forced to turn to Rashid – an extra in the second Test – much sooner than desired.
In the final act, a moment of Stokes-esque inspiration in the field came not from the man himself but from Alastair Cook, plucking a reflex one-handed catch at first slip to remove Rahane. England’s returning redhead then persuaded Root to burn England’s final review when believing Hardik Pandya had edged behind off Rashid.
But soon afterwards, Stokes was celebrating the demise of Kohli among his team-mates, and from his original status as Hamlet to the brink of playing the role of second grave digger, he was briefly centre stage once more.
