Given his importance, injury history and the stellar summer he is enjoying, any doubt over Stokes’ fitness is always a worry.
After bowling 24 overs in the India first innings, he was forced to retire hurt with cramp during his batting on Friday, before resuming later the same day.
England gave no indication of an injury concern, but Stokes’ absence from the attack on Saturday afternoon cannot have been tactical. It could be that he was simply taking care after his prior exertions in this match, and with the fifth Test at The Oval beginning on Thursday.
When he resumed on 77 out of England’s 544-7, Stokes looked sprightly in pinching a single in the first over of the day, beating Anshul Kamboj’s direct hit from mid-on.
Stokes’ last Test ton was a riotous protest against Jonny Bairstow’s stumping in the second Ashes Test of 2023.
This was a controlled, determined effort. The left-hander spent six balls on 99 before tickling Jasprit Bumrah very fine for four. Stokes’ celebration, a trademark salute to his late father Ged, was prolonged and followed by a second look to the sky.
Stokes’ century, his 14th in Tests, came from 164 deliveries. He walloped 38 runs from the next 33 deliveries he faced, including a combined three sixes off spinners Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja.
Brydon Carse, one of the best number 10s England have ever had, joined in the mayhem. Their partnership of 95 came at almost 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 only involvement for the rest of the day was marshalling his team in the field, often hunched over with hands on knees.
