Captain Ben Stokes believes England tailored effectively to the situations in Pakistan with its aggressive and daring tactical strikes to register the nation’s solely second 3-0 Test sequence sweep within the subcontinent.
Stokes’ predecessor Joe Root led England to its solely different sweep on the subcontinent when it beat Sri Lanka 3-0 in 2018. And England’s ‘Bazball’ method to Test cricket below new coach Brendon McCullum, a long-time star for New Zealand, was the figuring out think about Pakistan dropping a three-test dwelling sequence 3-0 for the primary time.
England signed off on its first Test tour to Pakistan in 17 years with an emphatic eight-wicket win Tuesday on the fourth day of the ultimate Test within the cricket fortress of Pakistan – National Stadium.
“It won’t really sink in until we get home or in the new year,” Stokes mentioned after scoring an unbeaten 35 in England’s run-chase that was led by Ben Duckett’s highly effective 82 not out off 78 balls. “We understand what we’ve done is pretty special … it will be something to be really proud of.
“Coming into subcontinental conditions … everything we’ve tried has come off. I’ve learned a lot in terms of the tactical side, that’s the best thing to come out of it.”
England set the tone of its dominance when its high 4 batters – Zak Crawley, Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook — smashed belligerent centuries on the opening day of the primary Test on a flat wicket at Rawalpindi which later acquired a demerit level from the ICC.
Stokes made a daring declaration on the fourth day at Rawalpindi that noticed England registering a 74-run win in dimming mild on the final day with Pakistan lower than 10 minutes away from forcing a draw.
Pakistan’s batters cracked below Stokes’ umbrella of fielders surrounding them all through the 343-run chase earlier than ultimately falling for 268.
“The first Test pitch was very, very flat and we just said ‘enjoy the flatness boys, let’s just enjoy this challenge and see what we can do.’”
England blunted the thriller spin of Abrar Ahmed on a gradual turning wicket in Multan earlier than registering an exciting 26-run win – additionally inside 4 days. Ahmed did choose up 11 wickets within the recreation, his Test debut, however Brook’s century within the second innings as soon as once more gave England sufficient runs to defend via Mark Wood’s categorical tempo on the fourth day.
“It is a great time to be in this dressing room and a great time to be playing for England,” Stokes mentioned. “I’m just encouraging everyone to turn up every day and enjoy what you’re doing. Obviously it is easier to do when we are winning the way we are at the moment.”
The toss didn’t have an effect on England’s dominance within the sequence when Babar Azam gained his first toss of the sequence and opted to bat within the last Test. The left-arm spin of Jack Leach and 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed dismissed Pakistan for 304 earlier than England notched a major 50-run lead via Brook’s third hundred within the sequence.
Rehan Ahmed’s maiden five-wicket haul, which made him the youngest to take action in males’s Test cricket, as soon as towards cracked via Pakistan’s brittle middle-order as England shot out the house staff for 216.
“It is exactly what you want when you are picking a team, you want to have discussions that are hard on who to pick,” Stokes mentioned. “Brooky has been outstanding in this series. The way he has played, the way he has taken the game on, the runs he’s scored, the strike rate he has scored at has been incredible to watch.”
Brook was elevated to exchange the injured Jonny Bairstow, who scored belligerently throughout the dwelling summer season however was dominated out of England’s historic tour to Pakistan.
“He’ll (Brook) be giving the selectors, and me and (McCullum) a migraine,” Stokes mentioned, joking in regards to the subsequent squad choice course of, “So yeah thanks Brooky for the sore head.”