The Leeds match has been a perfect example for Test cricket with England clinching a five-wicket victory in the final hour of the fifth day. This amid talk about the ICC contemplating to reduce Test matches to four days.
It showcased the virtues and thrills of playing the longest format. “It’s a good job Test cricket is played over five days, isn’t it?” Ben Stokes said when asked if he had ever doubted his decision to bowl first on winning the toss. “Imagine thinking that way at the end of Day 1, before we’ve even had a chance to bat.”
Stokes’ call was based on the team’s success in run chases. It was vindication for his decision to field first, a choice he has already made more often than any other England captain. He has so far won on eight out of the 11 occasions when he opted to bowl first.
“When you’re chasing down totals like that, how you are in the dressing room is very important because lads have got jobs to go out and do. Keeping the calm, relaxed vibe as much as we can is so important for the mindset… Cricket’s about taking wickets and scoring runs, but also the mindset you’re able to get your players into,” Stokes said on Tuesday.
“Everyone goes out there with a pretty clear mind about what we are trying to do,” he said. “Time wasn’t really an issue. It was pretty simple: if we bat the overs left in this game, we will win this game, just because of how quick the ground has been for scoring.”
Ben Duckett’s 149 and a 188-run opening stand with Zak Crawley provided them the perfect platform in their chase of 371. The opener was not part of their successful chase in 2022, the last time the two sides met in England.
“It felt really calm in the dressing room,” Duckett said. “It’s pretty easy to be calm when Rooty (Joe Root) is at the crease.”