Given his significance, damage historical past and the stellar summer time he’s having fun with, any doubt over Stokes’ health is at all times a fear.

After bowling 24 overs within the India first innings, he was pressured to retire damage with cramp throughout his batting on Friday, earlier than resuming later the identical day.

England gave no indication of an damage concern, however Stokes’ absence from the assault on Saturday afternoon can’t have been tactical. It might be that he was merely taking care after his prior exertions on this match, and with the fifth Check at The Oval starting on Thursday.

When he resumed on 77 out of England’s 544-7, Stokes seemed sprightly in pinching a single within the first over of the day, beating Anshul Kamboj’s direct hit from mid-on.

Stokes’ final Check ton was a riotous protest in opposition to Jonny Bairstow’s stumping within the second Ashes Check of 2023.

This was a managed, decided effort. The left-hander spent six balls on 99 earlier than tickling Jasprit Bumrah very high-quality for 4. Stokes’ celebration, a trademark salute to his late father Ged, was extended and adopted by a re-evaluation to the sky.

Stokes’ century, his 14th in Assessments, got here from 164 deliveries. He walloped 38 runs from the subsequent 33 deliveries he confronted, together with a mixed three sixes off spinners Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja.

Brydon Carse, among the best quantity 10s England have ever had, joined within the mayhem. Their partnership of 95 got here at nearly a run a ball, flattening the demoralised Indians.

Stokes was chasing a second successive six off Jadeja when he holed out to long-on. He left to a rapturous ovation and paused to soak it in.

His solely involvement for the remainder of the day was marshalling his staff within the area, typically hunched over with palms on knees.