For so long there were worries whether Stokes would again be fit enough to act as England’s fourth seamer. Right now, he is their best seamer.
His 16 wickets in this series is the most by any bowler on either side. It is the most Stokes has taken in a single series and his 129 overs is his heaviest workload, still with a potential three innings to go.
From 264-4 overnight, India had to face the second new ball right away. Archer set the tone in his first over, once again showing his prowess to left-handers by having Ravindra Jadeja edge to second slip, where Harry Brook took a fine diving catch.
It is a mystery how it took England almost 17 overs to take their next wicket. Thakur, who made 41, and Washington Sundar, 27, showed excellent defence and left well in a stand of 48.
It needed Stokes, in a 10-over spell either side of lunch, to work through the lower order. Thakur slashed to gully and Duckett held a sharp chance.
England dropped the field for Pant, so India’s progress was slow. Washington top-edged Stokes to fine leg and Anshul Kamboj edged behind to give the skipper his fifth Test five-for. The 76 matches since his previous five-wicket haul is a record in Test cricket.
Still Pant remained, his gutsy effort finally ended by Archer’s jaffa from round the wicket. When Jasprit Bumrah tickled Archer down the leg side, Stokes had to be talked into a review by Root in order to wrap up the innings.