Shubman Gill and KL Rahul hold up England's push for fourth-Test victory
The England skipper had been without a three-figure score since the 2023 Ashes but he turned his overnight 77 into 141 on the fourth morning as his side were all out for 669 at Emirates Old Trafford.
When Chris Woakes removed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan from successive deliveries with India yet to eat into a 311-run deficit, England might have had hopes of quickly wrapping up a 3-1 series lead.
But following a tough start to the afternoon session, Gill made 52 not out, having been dropped on 46 by Liam Dawson, and Rahul an unbeaten 30 as India went to tea on 86 for two, still trailing by 225.
England's total was their highest at home in the Bazball era, with only the 823 they amassed in Multan last October eclipsing it, with Stokes to the fore on Saturday as he recorded a 14th Test hundred.
He also joined Lord Botham, Tony Greig and Gus Atkinson as the only Englishmen to make a ton and take a five-wicket haul in the same match although he curiously did not bowl himself on Saturday afternoon.
Having struggled with cramp the previous evening, Stokes was put through his paces first thing, scampering through for a single, getting home despite Anshul Kamboj's direct hit from mid-on.
Stokes smeared Mohammed Siraj twice through the covers but lost Dawson for company after he was bowled by one that kept low from Jasprit Bumrah, having fended one off a length the ball before.
Stokes breezed to 99 but then played and missed at Bumrah, facing five more nervous dots before glancing Siraj off his pads for his ninth four and 14th Test ton, which he celebrated by removing his left glove and doing his crooked finger celebration, looking at the sky in memory of his father, Ged.
Stokes went to 7,000 Test runs in style by thrashing off-spinner Washington Sundar back over his head for six then reverse-sweeping him for four after England's total had gone past 600.
Ravindra Jadeja was also carted for a couple of sixes before Stokes holed out while Brydon Carse did likewise in the slow left-arm spinner's next over, leaving India a tricky 15-minute period to bat before lunch.
They were unable to emerge unscathed as Woakes squared up Yashasvi Jaiswal fourth ball, with Joe Root initially unable to cling on but scooping the rebound just above the turf.
It got even better as Sai Sudharsan shaped to leave the next delivery but the ball took the edge and flew to Harry Brook.
Gill negotiated the hat-trick ball, albeit after being rapped on the pad with Woakes' optimistic appeal turned down, but he had to overcome a testing period immediately after lunch from Jofra Archer.
England's fast bowler pleaded for a review after locating Gill's front pad but the third umpire was unable to detect whether bat was involved first so the on-field official's not out decision remained.
Gill's bottom hand, already bandaged, was struck two deliveries later while he survived another lbw in an eventful first over back but he rode out the storm and found some fluency as the ball got older.
With Rahul appearing totally unflustered, England went up for a desperate lbw when Gill was on 45 before he was put down on 46 as a diving Liam Dawson shelled a difficult chance at backward point.
Despite his first-innings five-for, Stokes did not bring himself on, even turning to Root to turn his arm over just before tea, with Gill bringing up a fifty to end the session.
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