@AFP

Ben Stokes has done it again. The England captain bowled his way into the record books during day one of the fourth Test vs India at Old Trafford, reaching 119.0 overs for the series. That beats his previous best of 116.5 overs from the disastrous 2013-14 Ashes tour down under.

Pretty impressive stuff when considering Stokes was having hamstring surgery just six months ago. The 34-year-old looked finished after tearing his hamstring in December. Surgery in January put him out for three months. Now he's bowling more than ever.

His figures on day one were solid rather than spectacular. 2/47 from 14 overs, getting rid of Shubman Gill for 12 and Sai Sudharsan for 61. Three different spells spread throughout the day. Five overs to start, then four, then another five to finish things off.

The bowling stats tell the real story of this series. Stokes leads England with 13 wickets at 28.53. Compare that to his batting - 163 runs at 27.16 - and can see where his impact is coming from. 

England's decision to bowl first raised eyebrows. No team has ever chosen to field at Old Trafford and won the Test match. That's some stat to go up against. But Stokes saw the conditions and backed himself. "Pretty decent overhead conditions for bowling," he said at the toss. "Typical Manchester wicket - firm, bit of grass. Hopefully, we can use it."

Joe Root knows exactly what Stokes is like. The former captain spent five years trying to manage his workload. Fat chance of that working. "You can try, but it doesn't make any difference," Root said after the Lord's Test. "He didn't listen to me when I was captain. That's his call now. He's just desperate to be the man and make things happen."

That sums up Stokes perfectly. The all-rounder mindset suits him down to the ground. "I get four opportunities in a Test match to influence the game," he explained recently. "If one thing doesn't click, you've got the other." Simple logic but it works for him.

India reached 264/4 by stumps, which represents decent batting on a tricky day. Half-centuries from Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal provided the backbone. Sudharsan's 61 came off 151 balls after being dropped early on. Lucky break that he made count. Jaiswal was more fluent with 58 from 107 balls, including 10 fours and a six.

The day's biggest drama involved Rishabh Pant retiring hurt on 37. Bizarre injury where he smashed his own foot attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Woakes. Medical staff rushed in immediately. Pant hobbled off, looking in real pain. That could change everything about this match.

Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja will resume today on 19 and 16, respectively. Decent platform for India, but they'll want more. England know they need early wickets to capitalize on winning the toss.

The series stands at 2-1 to England. One more victory clinches their first series win over India since 2018. That would be massive for this team under Stokes' leadership. The transformation has been remarkable to watch.

This bowling record reflects Stokes' commitment to the cause. Recent injury problems would have finished lesser players. Not him. He's pushed through the pain barrier before and succeeded. The 2019 World Cup final and Headingley Ashes heroics prove that.

The weather could disrupt proceedings over the next few days. Manchester's notorious for that. But England have made their statement of intent. Bowling first shows they believe in their attack. Stokes setting the example with his own workload sends the right message.

Modern cricket demands careful workload management. Franchises and boards obsess over it. But Stokes operates differently. He knows his body better than anyone else. Risk versus reward calculations that others wouldn't make.

The captain's approach has transformed England's Test cricket. Aggressive declarations, bold field settings, players encouraged to express themselves. The bowling first decision fits that template perfectly.

India needs their experienced players to step up now. Pant's injury disrupts their planning completely. Can the lower order build something substantial? England will come hard at them with the new ball tomorrow.

This Test continues through Sunday. England's historical record when bowling first here needs changing. Stokes believes his team can rewrite that particular statistic. His personal bowling milestone suggests they might be onto something.

The next three days will determine everything. England smells a series victory. India fights for their series survival. Sometimes individual achievements like Stokes' bowling record become the difference between winning and losing.