"Why is he auditioning for the IPL?" - Twitterati reacts as Ben Stokes smashes blistering fifty
England's star all-rounder Ben Stokes has taken the game by the scruff of its neck, as he came out all guns blazing on Day 2 and scored an incredible half-century in just 73 balls.
The 29-year-old looks to be in full control of all the shots he plays, be it the slog-sweep over mid-wicket or the reverse-sweep to a ball pitched straight into the rough. His counter-attacking batting has put Team India on the back foot in the first Test.
Fans on Twitter hail Ben Stokes for his phenomenal half-century
While several Twitter users appreciated Ben Stokes' innings, many were left frustrated by his unbeaten stand with Joe Root. Here is what they had to say:
Team India broke the 200-run stand between Dominic Sibley and Joe Root in the final over of Day 1, and were expecting to take early wickets on Saturday. However, the way Ben Stokes batted in the first session of Day 2 ensured that the visitors completely dominated the proceedings.
He initially rode his luck, surviving an unbelivable yorker from Jasprit Bumrah and a few other close chances. But once he was set at the crease, Ben Stokes smashed the Indian bowlers, especially Shahbaz Nadeem, to all parts of the ground. He unleashed every single shot in his repertoire and left the hosts clueless.
While Root reached his 150, Stokes continued to boss the Indian bowlers from the other end. He wasn't fazed by the odd ball turning square and backed his attacking game to inflict damage on the hosts.
England successfully scored 92 runs in the first session of Day 2, with both Root and Stokes returning unscathed at Lunch as the visitors posted 355-3.
Ben Stokes is unbeaten on 63 off just 98 balls and has hit nine boundaries and two sixes already. If he keeps on going at this rate, England might well bat India out of the Chennai Test.