Stokes back to best - Root

JOE Root believes there is no stopping England captain Ben Stokes after his Herculean effort at Lord’s.

- By RORY DOLLARD

Stokes turned in an iron-man performance to help his side go 2-1 up against India at the home of cricket, scoring 77 runs in two hardfought innings, taking five wickets and producing a match-changing run-out of Rishabh Pant.

Most remarkable of all was the workload he pushed his body through, sending down 44 overs in all, including muscle-busting spells of 9.2 and 10 overs on the decisive final day.

Now 34, that is the most he has bowled in over six years and comes after two severe hamstring blowouts in the past 12 months.