Ben Stokes smashes a 'ridiculous' six over long-on in the second Test against West Indies

Hosts England, after suffering a drubbing four-wicket defeat in the first Test at Ageas Bowl, retaliated in the second Test to put West Indies under pressure. In the second match of the three-Test series, West Indies won the toss and elected to field first at Old Trafford.

The men from the Caribbean, led by Jason Holder, were hoping to repeat their bowling heroics of the first Test. However, England, after suffering early setbacks, bounced back as Dom Sibley and Ben Stokes smashed tons to steady their side’s ship.

Skipper Joe Root, after missing the first Test to attend the birth of his second child, failed to amass runs in the second Test as he departed after scoring 23. Sibley and Stokes, however, displayed grit and resilience to stick in the middle and avoid a batting collapse. The duo stitched a 200+ batting stand to put England on the top of the visitors.

England aiming to level the series 1-1

Stokes, who is considered as one of the best all-rounders of the modern era, pulled out a flamboyant shot during the course of his gritty inning. Ben Stokes’ ridiculous shot, which went for a six, came in the 115th over of the match, bowled by Alzarri Joseph.

Joseph bowled a full-length delivery to Stokes, which the all-rounder effortlessly lofted and punched over long-on to flaunt his class. Stokes timed the ball with perfection, held his pose, and watched the ball sailing over the boundary with ease. England Cricket also shared the clip of Stokes’ six and termed it ‘ridiculous’. The tweet, in no time, garnered many likes and comments lauding Stokes’ flamboyance.

That is ridiculous @benstokes38! 😱

Scorecard & Videos: https://t.co/Jr8JJyRQaw#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/WUyhG8N77e

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 17, 2020

Roston Chase, meanwhile, emerged as the most successful West Indies bowler as he scalped three wickets including the crucial one of Dom Sibley. Sibley departed after scoring a vital 120-run knock.

The second Test also witnessed a complete bowling overhaul of the hosts as England decided to rest Mark Wood and James Anderson while Jofra Archer was omitted for breaching the bio-security protocol.

The Three Lions will bowl with some fresh legs at Old Trafford with veteran Stuart Broad paving his way into the side. Broad, upon his exclusion from the first Test, had expressed his frustration and disappointment. Along with Broad, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes have also been included in England’s pace battery for the second Test.