Soon before play began at the Kia Oval, the England and Wales Cricket Board withdrew Stokes and Gus Atkinson from their county sojourns with Durham and Surrey - a strong indication the pair would be back on parade at Trent Bridge once the investigation into their curfew-breaching night out is complete.
What unfolded in the next 48 minutes suggested a hastily rearranged England team showing five changes from the one Stokes led to victory at Lord's earlier this month was in desperate need of reinforcements.
And coach Brendan McCullum confirmed after play that Stokes would lead England in the third Test, after he made 95 in Durham's county match on Saturday.
"Ben will be back. He'll be back and he'll be captain," McCullum said. "I think everyone is excited about that, especially after seeing him hit some form for Durham."
Those 48 minutes on Sunday morning were all it took for Matt Henry to reduce England from their overnight 5-182 to down and out for 209, squaring the series scoreline at 1-1 ahead of the likely circus that will accompany Stokes to Nottingham.
England began the day needing 281 runs for a world record chase of 463, but at least had the reassuring presence of Joe Root.
When he was trapped lbw by the relentless Henry in the third over with just two runs added to his overnight 75, the lights went out on England.
Henry finished them off with ruthless efficiency – too skilful, too consistent and too precise for a home side that has shown a soft underbelly since being rejigged in Stokes' absence.
The Kiwi seamer was imperious as he stitched together two double wicket maidens in a row, starting by sneaking one past Root's front pad and into his back leg. Jofra Archer was next for a two-ball duck as he lost his stumps to one that kept low.
Henry bagged two more in his next visit, with Matt Fisher dragging on to follow his first-innings 50 with a duck before Josh Tongue nicked the next ball to slip.
That secured Henry's first 10-wicket Test and he went one better, ending a brief rally by debutant Jordan Cox by cleaning him up as he danced around his crease, and finishing with 6-29.
"Didn't expect it to unfold like that, but it saved a hot day in the field," said man of the match Henry, who suffered a back spasm in the defeat at Lord's in the first Test.
"The way the guys applied themselves with the ball was relentless."
Root, who returned as captain for a record-extending 65th time, insisted there were some positives for England.
"Without sounding too sort of cliche, there have been a lot of good things in between some pretty ordinary stuff," he said.
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