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Ben Stokes declares India Test win his 'greatest triumph'

England lead the five-match Test series 1-0 after a remarkable performance

By Web Desk

January 28, 2024

Ben Stokes during the Test match against India. — AFP

Ben Stokes was in awe of England’s 28-run win against India in the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, as he ended up calling it his best since becoming the captain.

After a poor performance on the first two days, England made a stunning comeback later in the game as they not only made things difficult for Indians with the bat but also bundled them out for just 202 runs during their chase of a 231-run target in the last innings.

Debutant Tom Hartley wreaked havoc with the ball as he clinched seven for 62 runs and guided England to a hard-fought win.

Stokes, who has yet to lose a Test series as a captain, stated that he has won many matches as a skipper, but the win in Hyderabad has been his greatest one.

"We've had a lot of fantastic moments as a team, great wins," Stokes said. "But given where we are, and who we are playing, I think it's our greatest triumph since I have been captain."

India have proven themselves to be a force to reckon with in red-ball cricket. This was the first time India lost a Test match at home after taking a 100+ runs lead.

"Before the series started, we knew how much of a beast India are at home," Stokes said. "But the way we responded to being so far behind, it was testament to everything we have said and lived and breathed over the last two years.

"But we've got four Tests left. It's about backing up this performance now. We know that India are going to come back harder at us.

"They are an incredibly tough team but if we can keep standing up to them, it's a good sign for us. We are very proud to be 1-0 up but there is a long way to go."

BazBall arrived in full flow in Hyderabad as England became the first visiting team to score 400+ runs in the third innings against India. The previous team to do this was England as well as they scored 406 in Ahmedabad in 2012.