Ben Stokes' bizarre LBW dismissal© X (Twitter)
England captain Ben Stokes suffered an embarrassing dismissal in the third Test against Pakistan, as England crumbled to 112 all out in the second innings and suffered a 2-1 series loss. Stokes, who came back into the side in the second Test after an injury lay-off, lost both the second and third Test. In the second innings, Stokes was left completely bamboozled, as he was caught LBW (leg-before-wicket) by Noman Ali. He was dismissed for just three runs, as Pakistan went on to win on Day 3.
Watch: Ben Stokes suffers embarrassing LBW
— Himanshu (@himanshux_) October 26, 2024
Batting on three runs off eight balls with England at 70/4, Stokes chose to leave a delivery by Noman Ali in the 22nd over. However, the ball kept low and turned back in, trapping Stokes plumb on the pads. The way the ball turned out made a mockery of Stokes' decision to leave it in the first place.
Stokes was the fifth England wicket to fall. England went on to lose their next five wickets in the space of 42 runs, leaving Pakistan a target of only 37 to chase down. Pakistan managed to do so in just 3.1 overs, completing the series win.
Stokes has managed only 53 runs in four innings since his return from injury. Apart from a knock of 37 in the second Test, he has failed to cross 15 in an innings.
After dramatically winning the first Test in Multan, England have been undone by spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, who entered the Pakistan lineup from the second game. The duo have picked up 39 out of the 40 England wickets in the second and third Tests.
England's successive defeats reduces their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle final, as they now sit sixth on the table, just above Pakistan in seventh.