Ben Stokes is not cast in the same mould as the vast majority of English cricketers. Fiery, combative, gladiatorial - he plays the game hard and with great gusto. He is an all-rounder who bats, bowls and fields at full throttle.

Some opponents feel threatened by his physical stature and aggressive brand of cricket. Stokes simply doesn't back down, smashing the next ball for six, bowling his 90 mph "chin music," or taking a breathtakingly full-stretch catch at backward point.

Whether it's thrashing the fastest ever Test century at Lord's or the quickest ever Test double-hundred by an...