A glance down the scorecard may have suggested a limited role by way of numbers but as Ben Stokes basked in the afterglow of a stunning last-gasp win over Pakistan, sealed moments before an orange sun slunk below the horizon, his impact felt as vast as the nearby foothills of the Himalayas.
This was not just a victory that will go down in the history books as one of England’s greatest overseas – just their third in these parts and coming after a 17-year absence. It was vindication of their captain’s bold and revolutionary new orders, be it the unencumbered rapid-fire batting he has demanded, his innovative no-holds-barred tactics in the field or his disdain for the notion of playing for a draw.
