In Christchurch, the city of his birth, England captain Ben Stokes looks reborn as a a batter and a leader, says Stephan Shemilt.
Ben Stokes was happy to play the supporting role to his fellow strokemakers on day three of the first TestEngland have the first Test by the scruff of the neck thanks largely to a very un-Kiwi-like performance.
The Pakistan tour - and a 2-1 series defeat - was a hugely difficult time for Stokes. Flat out in his bid to get fit after a hamstring injury, he was wiped out by the time he came back into the side for the second Test. When England reassembled in Queenstown, Stokes cleared the air with his troops, by which time he had already travelled to Christchurch to surprise his family.
Stokes' captaincy was somewhere near its creative best. Trusting Shoaib Bashir, he somehow cajoled four wickets out of the off-spinner on a ground where no spinner has taken more in a Test innings.
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