Stokes Lauds Duckett and Crawley as Key to England's Record-Breaking Chase

Ben Stokes, the England captain, has praised the opening partnership of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley for their significant contribution to England's successful run chase against India at Headingley. Their 188-run stand laid a solid foundation, enabling England to overhaul the target of 371 in the fourth innings.

While Duckett's magnificent 149 stole the headlines, Stokes emphasized the importance of Crawley's 65. He noted how Crawley's aggressive yet supportive innings complemented Duckett's approach, creating a formidable challenge for the Indian bowlers.

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

"When you're chasing 370, a good start is essential," Stokes stated. "Minimizing early wickets is crucial, and the manner in which Zak and Duckett approached the game at the top of the order was particularly significant."

Stokes further elaborated on the dynamic between the two openers: "Zak's innings was equally vital. They complement each other exceptionally well – a left-hander and a right-hander, one tall, one not so much. This makes it incredibly difficult for bowlers to settle into a rhythm. When they both get going, it can be a nightmare for the opposition. Duckett scored 149, but Zak's 65 was just as important. He assessed the situation perfectly, recognizing that Duckett was on a roll and effectively applying pressure back onto the bowlers. Their opening partnership has been outstanding for us over the past couple of years."

Duckett's dominance against Ravindra Jadeja, especially his audacious use of the reverse sweep, caught Stokes' attention. He described Duckett as one of the best players of spin in the world, particularly highlighting his proficiency with that particular shot. "I even consulted with him during a break about potential strategies to improve my own game against spin," Stokes revealed. "He's truly exceptional at executing reverse sweeps and is a fantastic player of spin, especially on challenging surfaces."

Stokes himself sought Duckett's counsel during his innings, hoping to refine his approach against spin. "I simply asked him for his perspective on how I could give myself a better chance. When you're out there, you often feel like you're either moving forward or back, trying to manipulate the ball on the leg side.

"Adopting a clear strategy, including the reverse sweep, was my intention. While the conditions were difficult, I focused on remaining clear-headed and confident in what I needed to do to try and unsettle the close-in fielders."

This victory marked the sixth time under the leadership of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum that England had successfully chased down a target of 250 or more in the fourth innings. Stokes attributes their success to a simple, relaxed approach.

"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 incredibly important when chasing down totals like this. The lads have a job to do out there, and maintaining a calm, relaxed environment helps them to maintain the right mindset when facing pressure in the middle."

"The equation was simple yesterday: if we bat out the remaining overs, we will win the game, given the scoring potential of this ground. The scoring rate has been over four an over, even without teams necessarily trying to force the pace... except for Rishabh [Pant]. It's simply a very quick-scoring ground."