England’s vice-captain had overcome the 38C heat and a stomach bug to deliver a herculean performance with the ball, claiming the key wickets of Virat Kohli for a duck and Rohit Sharma for a patient 49. A smart catch at slip also accounted for Ajinkya Rahane on 27, while overall he was ever-willing for the hamstrung Joe Root, sending down more overs of heft than he had previously hitherto been able to muster all series.
Having top-scored 24 hours earlier with a defiant 55, one wondered whether another Test was going to see the name Ben Stokes run through it like the words in a stick of rock and, given England’s resources and 2-1 deficit in alien conditions, possibly sit among the all-rounder’s now bulging catalogue of greatest hits.