Twitter reacts to Ben Stokesā wild reverse-sweep gifting Kemar Roach his first wicket in 521 balls
Kemar Roach bagged Ben Stokes' wicket to end drought
|Getty
For a brief while in this Test - after multiple DRS decisions went against him - it looked like Kemar Roach was never going to end his wicket drought that had started in the India series last year. But as fate had it, of all people, it had to Ben Stokes who finally āhelpedā him break the drought.
Kemar Roach entered this series as the Windiesā single biggest weapon, but pressure started mounting on him after going wicketless across both the innings in the first Test. And after failing to strike on the first day of the ongoing Old Trafford Test, what started off as a joke became a major cause for concern for the pacer, for whom no luck seemed to be coming his way.
However, after toiling hard for 70 overs in the series, Roach finally got his first breakthrough of the series in his 71st over. And, remarkably, that came in the form of Ben Stokes, who was in the midst of a flawless innings. Batting on 176, keen on pushing the team score, Stokes, who had finally found his hitting zone, attempted a bizarre reverse-sweep of a good length delivery of Roach.
But to the Englishmanās dismay, all he could manage was glove it to the keeper and as Shane Dowrich collected the ball safely, Roach let out a huge sigh of relief, for he had broken his duck that had lasted 521 balls. There were smiles all over the West Indies camp as Stokes walked back to the pavilion, falling 24 runs short of what would have been his second Test double-century.
Here is how Twitter reacted on it:
That was a bad shot selection from Ben Stokes šš
ā faceplatter49 (@faceplatter49) July 17, 2020
Credits @englandcricket pic.twitter.com/sdI4THpdjt
The WICKET of Ben Stokes was very vital for the Indies he is out for 176 ,England now 395/7 #ENGvsWI
ā Major General (@EliasChinemore) July 17, 2020
When you keep attempting the reverse sweep just for the sake of it, you deserve to get out
ā Nish Navalkar (@YUVI_NISH) July 17, 2020
BEN STOKES DESERVED TO GET OUT THERE#ENGvWI
Ben Stokes out for 176.
ā Harvey (@Wheddsta) July 17, 2020
Kemar Roach finally gets his wicket.#ENGvWI
Everything that Ben Stokes does has to be spectacular.
ā Kaustubh Mayekar (@KauCorner) July 17, 2020
In his slowest hundred ever, he gets out playing a reverse-sweep off a fast bowler.#ENGvWI
#ENGWI
ā Fanele Mbuyazi (@FaneleMbuyazi8) July 17, 2020
176 and finally Out is Ben Stokes... KR can finally celebrate a wicket..and get another from the very next ball... Woakes 0. But the visitors are still firmly on the back foot at Old Trafford.
Eng 395-7
Buttler still in there...
143rd over.
