New Delhi, July 26 -- Ben Stokes' century against India on the fourth day of the fourth Test carried a lot of emotions. As soon as the England captain leg glanced Jasprit Bumrah for a boundary to reach his first Test hundred in two years, the southpaw quickly looked up to the heavens with a finger gesture in the memory of his late father Ged Stokes.

Not only it came as a sigh of relief for Stokes, but also put England in the driver's seat as the hosts were all out for 669, thus taking a 310-run first innings lead against the Shubman Gill-led side at Old Trafford. Stokes' last Test hundred came in 2023 against Australia at Lord's.

In the process, Stokes became he first from the country in their 148-year history to scored 7000-plus runs a...