“I knew that everyone would buy into this mentality”, Ben Stokes after 3-0 win over the Kiwis!

Who would have thought that the England team would turn out to be quite like this? After a 4-0 defeat in the hands of Australia and a series loss to the West Indies, England's team looked like the jokers of Test cricket. One thing that was bothering the nation for a long time was their ego and pride. They never failed to call themselves the best and it of course escalated when England won the 50-over World Championship in 2019. A fall was more than necessary and most importantly, they had to start fresh with their mouth shut.

The introduction of Brendon McCullum helped the team massively. McCullum himself is a legend of the game and knows what it takes to get the desired result. He of course inspired the players to play attacking cricket but also taught the lads to keep calm when it is required. The English cricketers controlled their aggression and channelled it in the right way possible and without a doubt this worked miraculously in English cricket. The players know their role and did their job perfectly to win 3-0 against the Test world champions.

Appointing Ben Stokes as the captain of the side was very important. He can read the situation of the game very nicely and can act upon it. More importantly, he’s a match winner and has helped England win several matches on his own terms. There’s a lot of respect for him in the dressing room and that is why he can make this England team great again!

“I knew that everyone would buy into this mentality that me and Brendon wanted out of this team but I didn't think it would go this well. I think these last three games should have sent a message to people who aspire to play Test cricket for England over the next two or three years at least”, said Stokes before challenging India in a couple of days time.

The captain added, “I would say it's the manner you play, whether that be with the ball or bat in your hand, not necessarily your stats. Because what we want to do is build on this, and it's not just about this moment, it's about the future as well”.

He talking about the future of England right after winning his first series is what makes him a leader. He has the ability to give England a new direction as far as the Test cricket is concerned and that can shape the future of the English team.

The 31-year-old further added, “If we were on the wrong side of results in these games, if they'd played out the same way but we'd lost, I'd have walked off a very happy captain with the way everyone's applied themselves, the attitude they've given to every single day, every single session, every single hour of these three matches. I would like to think people watching know what they have to do to bang the door down and try to get in this team”.