Ben Stokes held his nerve pretty well for the first half of the opening over of his Indian Premier League career in Pune on Thursday afternoon. Gliding up to the wicket in aubergine pyjamas, pumped and sweating, endorsing at least seven high-end products and services simultaneously, the most expensive overseas import in the history of domestic cricket fizzed down a couple of tight, straight dot balls and a single to the Mumbai Indians openers Jos Buttler and Parthiv Patel.
His fourth ball was pitched up. Buttler stood still and clubbed it hard and flat over long-off for six. The next was short, and Buttler produced something ludicrous, pirouetting outside his off stump and persuading the ball away for a six looped straight back over his left shoulder. Cue bedlam, squeals, flashes, thunder, Kevin Pietersen on comms cooing about “wonderful, wonderful cricket shots” and what looked close to a small riot in the stands.
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