England's Stokes Lauds Openers Duckett and Crawley for Chase Masterclass vs. India

Ben Stokes, the England captain, has lauded the exceptional opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, acknowledging their pivotal role in setting the stage for England's triumphant pursuit of 371 runs against India at Headingley. Duckett's remarkable innings of 149 captured the spotlight, but Stokes emphasized the significance of Crawley's contribution of 65, which provided a crucial element of disruption and balance at the top of the order.

The openers laid the foundation for England's memorable win. © Getty

Stokes commented, "When you're chasing 370, a solid start is paramount. Minimizing early wicket losses is crucial, and the manner in which Duckett and Crawley approached the game at the top of the order was instrumental."

He further elaborated on the synergy between the two batsmen, stating, "The way that Zak played was also huge. They complement each other incredibly well. The left-hand, right-hand combination, coupled with their contrasting statures, makes it challenging for bowlers to settle into a rhythm when both are firing. I'm sure the opposition would agree that it can be a nightmare when they're in for an extended period. While Ducky scored 149, Zak's 65 was equally vital. He managed the situation expertly, recognizing that Ducky was taking the initiative and effectively applying pressure back onto the opposition. Their opening partnership has been consistently outstanding for us over the past couple of years."

Duckett's dominance against Ravindra Jadeja on the final day was particularly noteworthy, especially his audacious deployment of the reverse sweep against the rough. Stokes hailed him as one of the world's premier players of spin, highlighting his proficiency with that particular stroke. "I spoke to him during the tea or rain break," Stokes revealed. "He's among the best in the world at executing reverse sweeps and is an exceptional player of spin, particularly on difficult surfaces."

Stokes even sought Duckett's counsel mid-innings, seeking advice on how to improve his own strategy against spin. "I had a brief conversation with him about potential adjustments I could make to enhance my chances. In that situation, you often feel compelled to either move forward or retreat, attempting to manipulate the ball on the leg side."

He added, "Adopting a clear game plan and utilizing reverse sweeps was my approach. Despite the challenging conditions, I remained confident in my strategy to try and disrupt the close-in fielders."

This victory marked the sixth instance under the leadership of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum where England has successfully chased a target of 250 or more in the fourth innings. Stokes attributes their success to their ability to maintain simplicity and composure.

"I think we're just... We're a very simple-minded pair, me and Baz, I think, when it comes to cricket. Obviously, everyone knows what cricket's about. It's about scoring one more run than the opposition. And when you strip it all back, that's what it's like. So we just try to keep everything as simple, calm as we possibly can," Stokes said.

"The atmosphere in the dressing room is crucial when chasing down totals like that. The lads have specific roles to fulfill, and maintaining a calm, relaxed environment is essential for their mindset when facing the pressures of the situation out in the middle."

Stokes concluded, "The equation was straightforward: if we batted out the remaining overs, we would win the game due to the ground's rapid scoring potential. The scoring rate has consistently been above four an over, even without any extraordinary efforts, save for Rishabh [Pant]. It's simply a very high-scoring ground."