Advertisement

'So much pain': Ben Stokes' heartbreaking tribute to late father

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·3-min read
Ben Stokes (pictured) gestures to his late father after he was dismissed.
Ben Stokes (pictured) gesturing to his late father after being dismissed on 99 runs in the ODI against India. (Images: Getty Images/Twitter)

Cricket star Ben Stokes looked to the sky to apologise to his father after falling on 99 in a brilliant knock after he helped England defeated India in the second ODI match.

Stokes and Jonny Bairstow went ballistic in an amazing partnership that helped England chase down a huge total of 337 based on a century from KL Rahul and a blistering 77 from Rishabh Pant.

WOW: Virat Kohli surpasses Aussie legend with incredible record

'ABSOLUTE JOY': Fans go wild over cricket cult hero's 'priceless' record

England's fearless top order tore chunks out of it as they smashed 20 sixes between them and left 39 balls unused as they made India's earlier efforts look like child's play, which will take the series to a Sunday decider.

But amongst Stokes' brilliant batting, he offered up a heartbreaking moment after his dismissal.

Falling on 99 runs, Stokes looked to the sky and appeared to utter the words 'sorry' and waved with his glove in a gesture to his late father who died of cancer last year.

Fans rightfully praised the touching moment from the allrounder.

England level ODI series

Bairstow's 124 - his 11th ODI hundred - was the centrepiece while Stokes accompanied him after a furious blitz that saw him clear the ropes on 10 occasions.

After Jason Roy (55) had helped Bairstow put on an opening stand of 110, Stokes, batting in Joe Root's familiar position of three, soared from 50 to 99 in just 11 deliveries before a flick off the glove denied him a breathtaking ton.

England had a late wobble with Stokes, Bairstow and Jos Buttler falling in a handful of deliveries, but the frenzied scoring that the top three left behind meant the hard work was already done.

The finishing touches were applied by debutant Liam Livingstone and Dawid Malan, both in as late injury replacements for captain Eoin Morgan and Sam Billings.

England batsman Jonathan Bairstow celebrates his century during the 2nd One Day International between India and England at MCA Stadium on March 26, 2021 in Pune, India.
England batsman Jonathan Bairstow celebrates his century during the 2nd One Day International between India and England at MCA Stadium on March 26, 2021 in Pune, India. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/Getty Images)

Earlier, Virat Kohli (66) and Rahul steered their side with a careful stand worth 121, but scored just 30 off their first 100 runs in boundaries and allowed Moeen Ali to run through his full allocation with a solitary four against his name.

Rahul, who scored 108 off 114 balls, assumed responsibility for steering things, taking the side to 3-210 after 40 overs, a base India used to pile on 126 in the final 10.

Pant smashed seven sixes in his 77 and were it not for two tidy death overs from Reece Topley, it might have been even more.

Tom Curran suffered more than most as he shipped 83 from his share, though he did dismiss Rahul, and Hardik Pandya hit four sixes in a short cameo ended by Topley.

with AAP

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.