England revolutionising Test cricket with Ben Stokes leading from the front

Gone is the fear of losing. Instead England is leaving the opposition shell-shocked with the sheer pace of its run-getting and then the bowlers strike before the opponent recovers mentally.

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum after England’s win in the first Test against Pakistan. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

In doldrums when coach Brendon McCullum joined skipper Ben Stokes, England is now revolutionising Test cricket.

Gone is the fear of losing. Instead England is leaving the opposition shell-shocked with the sheer pace of its run-getting and then the bowlers strike before the opponent recovers mentally.

And the new England chases targets with a barrage of strokes, disrupts the rhythm of the attack and then seizes control. In Stokes and McCullum it has two personalities who play to win. England has proved if Test cricket is about patience and resilience, it is also about the speed of run-getting that creates time and space for the victory surge.

Let’s consider this. No team in Test history has scored quicker than the 4.48 runs per over that Stokes’ England has managed in nine Tests.  Remarkably, England’s run-rate (RR) in the second innings - traditionally the pitch deteriorates and becomes harder for scoring - of 4.52 is even better than its first innings 4.40.

Clearly we are witnessing something remarkable. England is turning Test cricket on its head. 

Let’s compare England’s RR with some of the marauding teams from the past. Steve Waugh’s Australia comes closest with 3.67 runs per over in 57 Tests. Ricky Ponting’s Australia was not far behind with 3.52 in 77 Tests and Sir Don Bradman’s Invincibles, 2.90 in 24 Tests.

You can argue that the pitches have flattened out but England is managing to get 20 wickets on the same surfaces. In his eight Tests as full-time Test captain - he led England once as a stand-in skipper - from the summer of 2022 that followed a disastrous tour of the West Indies, Stokes has instilled belief in his players, backed them.

Let’s consider this. In the Nottingham Test last summer, the Kiwis notched up 553 after being inserted. Most teams would play for a draw from that point on but England rattled up 539 at a RR of 4.20. And then England smashed its way past a target of 299 at a mind-boggling RR of 5.98, losing five wickets.

And when India, with a potent pace attack, set England a stiff 378 at Birmingham, the host breezed through to the mark at a terrific RR of 4.93.

And now at Rawalpindi England amassed an unreal 506 for four on day one, making 657 in the first innings (RR, a stunning 6.50). However, Pakistan responded strongly with 579.

But then, Stokes had already sniffed a win. He made things happen. England smashed its way to 264 for seven in just 35.5 overs at a ferocious RR of 7.36 to set Pakistan a tantalising target of 343 in more than 100 overs .Stokes was risking a defeat for a win. And England scored a dramatic win in the late stages of day five.

Again, the pace of the run-getting had made all the difference.