England

Stokes reached his 11th Test hundred off just 114 balls as he and Joe Root (153) carried on where the tourists had left off on day one.

West Indies were able to navigate 27 overs of their own before the close of play for the loss of just one wicket, but remain 436 runs behind at 71-1 going into the third day.

It was a flawless first session for England, with Stokes coming in after Dan Lawrence (91) lost his wicket off the final ball of the opening day.

Stokes and Root stepped up the run rate, with the former in particular firing boundaries as often as he could, and the duo put on a further 125 before lunch, with Root reaching his 150.

The England captain was out shortly after the second session began after Kemar Roach trapped him lbw, which took the bowler ahead of Sir Garry Sobers into seventh on his country's list of all-time wicket-takers.

Jonny Bairstow added 20 before going for a big shot off Alzarri Joseph that was caught by Nkrumah Bonner in the deep, and then Stokes soon followed as he put his foot down even further, hitting Kraigg Brathwaite for back-to-back sixes, only to hit the next one straight to Shamarh Brooks to end with 120 to his name.

Ben Foakes (33) and Chris Woakes (41) put on a partnership of 75, but as wickets at the tail-end started to fall, Root decided to declare on 507-9.

Debutant Matt Fisher sensationally took the wicket of John Campbell (four) with just his second ball, forcing an edge through to Foakes.

However, Brathwaite (28 not out) and Brooks (31 not out) managed to see out the remainder of the day, though the former did survive after reviewing an initial 'out' decision for lbw off Jack Leach when on 14. 

Stokes back to his best

What a player Ben Stokes is on this form. He set the tone for the remainder of the England innings after Root et al had laid the groundwork on day one.

He hit a remarkable six sixes in his 120, which arrived in just 128 deliveries. That included scoring 89 from 92 balls in the morning session as he also passed the 5,000 Test runs mark.

Fisher hooks his first wicket

What a way to start your Test career. Fisher bowled an absolute beauty to dismiss Campbell, and though he was not able to add to it before the close of play, ending the day with figures of 1-18, he did threaten more than most.

The Yorkshireman has 63 wickets in first class cricket at an average of 27.52, and has made a good start to putting his name forward as a potential long-term part of England's attack.

The England captain managed just 10 overs in the second Test defeat to Pakistan in Multan, in what was his first appearance in over two months after a troublesome hamstring issue.

Rawalpindi will host the series decider between the two nations, with England expecting lateral movement after recalling Rehan Ahmed, alongside fellow spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.

Gus Atkinson also returns for the tourists ahead of Thursday's Test, forming a two-man seam attack with Stokes, who expects to feature more from a bowling aspect.

"It was good to get through it," said Stokes of the second Test. "I have put myself through my paces at training, bowled two spells.

"Coming in and being one of only two seamers, I'm fully confident that I'll be able to get more out of myself this week than I did last week."

Pakistan opted to reuse the same pitch in Multan for the second Test after England eased to victory in a run-laden opening meeting.

However, home spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan shared all 20 wickets as Pakistan levelled the three-match series, with the hosts' captain Shan Masood calling for further turn in Rawalpindi.

Pictures emerged this week of heaters, fans and windbreakers on the pitch, seemingly to appease Masood's request, though Stokes had no issues with the ground work.

"I've never been a groundsman, but you'd think a rake would assist the spin," said Stokes. "We can have a good guess which ends the Pakistan spinners will operate from.

"There's not too much grass to hold everything together. It will be interesting to see how it goes. It will be a pretty good wicket for the first couple of days, at least."

Spin will be no problem, too, considering the selection of Leach, Bashir and young leg-spinner Ahmed, who claimed a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Pakistan in 2022.

"Leg-spinners have an amazing ability to break a game open," added Stokes. "Having his batting ability lower down the order is also a massive bonus.

"The way Leach and Bashir have bowled has been fantastic in these first two Tests. Adding Rehan's free spirit and desperation to change the game every time he's got the ball in his hand is a massive bonus for us this week."

Stokes suffered the hamstring injury in August and has missed the last four Test matches, including England's record-breaking win last week as they beat Pakistan by an innings and 47 runs.

He replaces Chris Woakes in the side for the second Test, with Potts, returning for the first time since the Sri Lanka series in August, replacing Gus Atkinson, who misses out on his first Test since making his debut in July.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have made radical changes to their own line-up, dropping star batter Babar Azam along with pace bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

It has also been confirmed that the second Test, beginning on Tuesday, will be played on the same pitch used for the first in Multan.

England are targeting a victory that would confirm their second consecutive series win in Pakistan, with the hosts looking to end a two-and-a-half-year winless streak at home.

England XI for the second Test against Pakistan: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Jack Leach, Shoaib Bashir. 

The all-rounder joined compatriot Ian Botham on the list of players to achieve both feats, which now features seven men after Stokes' exploits in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

Of those to have gone beyond 4,000 runs, India great Kapil Dev has the most wickets to his name with 434. Botham, who scored 5,200 runs in his career, is second with 383 wickets.

Stokes will look to add to his tally when South Africa begin their first innings at St George's Park. England reached lunch on day two on 335-4 with Stokes and Ollie Pope unbeaten on 108 and 75 respectively.

Daniel Vettori, Jacques Kallis, Garfield Sobers and Carl Hooper round off the list.

Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff fell short of 4,000 runs in his career. He took 226 wickets but managed 3,845 runs before retiring from Test cricket.

Starting the day needing just 33 runs with all 10 wickets remaining in their second innings, England took just 5.3 overs to reach their target of 130, sealing a 2-1 win in the three-Test series.

Alex Lees (39) was the only batsman to fall, trapped lbw by Kagiso Rabada, but his fellow opener Zak Crawley (69 not out) and Ollie Pope (11no) saw the hosts home.

It was England's sixth win in their last seven Test matches, and Stokes – who was named player of the series – outlined how pleased he was with the way the team has embraced the attacking mindset promoted by him and head coach Brendon McCullum.

"It has been a great series for us as a team," he told Sky Sports.

"It has been a series where we haven't had any real individual standout performances, but different people throughout the series have put their hands up in crucial periods for us.

"For me, it is about the clarity of the decisions. Me and Brendon are the guys who are sending this message to this group of players, I said to the lads in the dressing room the other day that the person who is delivering the message can only do so much."

Ollie Robinson returned during the series for the first time since an underwhelming Ashes series in January, and was named player of the match after claiming 7-89 with the ball across both South Africa innings, including five-for in the first.

"It has been a really enjoyable comeback for myself and the team," the bowler said to Sky Sports. 

"The experience over the last few weeks has been really enjoyable and it has just been great to be with the lads again. 

"It is nice to get where I am at the moment but I don't think I am the finished article by any means."

England were quick to bowl out the reigning ICC World Test Championship kings in the morning session, leaving them to chase 299 runs over the rest of the day.

But there could have been some concern in the England changing room as they found themselves four wickets down for just 93 runs.

Instead, Stokes joined Jonny Bairstow in the middle and the two enjoyed a 179-run partnership over the course of just 20 overs.

Bairstow scored the second-fastest hundred for England in Tests, raising his bat after just 77 deliveries.

He finally fell as he was caught off the bowling of Trent Boult, but his innings of 136 off 92 balls did the heavy lifting before Stokes and Ben Foakes cruised to the winning total.

Stokes himself scored 75 runs off 70 balls, but he was quick to praise his team-mates, saying: "I can't take too much credit for that. For all five days, the boys were phenomenal with bat, ball and in the field.

"Everyone has contributed to this win."

He added: "It wasn't just myself and Jonny today, look at Leesy [Alex Lees] at the top there. The more he plays, he looks like a Test opener."

The England captain also heaped praise on Foakes, labelling him "the best keeper in the world".

New Zealand scored 837 runs across the match and still came up short, but their stand-in skipper Tom Latham was magnanimous in defeat.

"At tea, it was still in the balance, but the way Jonny and England played there was outstanding and all credit to them," he said.

Latham commended the efforts of his team-mates, adding: "I couldn't ask for more from them.

"It will take a while to sink in. The emotions are raw at the moment and the boys are gutted, so we will take some time away."

Although England clinched the series, attention now turns to the final Test at Headingley on June 23

Root became the first player to craft a double hundred in his 100th Test as England piled on the runs on day two of the series against India, closing on 555-8.

The imperious in-form skipper struck a magnificent 218 to replace Alec Stewart as England's third-highest Test run-scorer, with Stokes making a brilliant 82 on his return to the side.

Root, who reached his fifth double hundred in the longest format by coming down the track and hitting Ravichandran Ashwin for six, has now racked up 644 in his past three Tests after a dream series in Sri Lanka.

Stokes rates the Yorkshireman as the best player of spin England have ever had after his latest masterclass.

Asked about Root's exploits, Stokes said: "He makes us all feel pretty rubbish with how easy he makes batting look. I was quite surprised he ran down the wicket and hacked a six to bring up a double.

"He's in phenomenal form, just making things look very, very easy. The way that he dominates spin is incredible to watch and I don't think we've had an England batsman ever play spin in the way he does.

"He's got an option and answer for everything that's thrown at him and he's just a delight to watch at the moment."

Stokes was happy to hit the ground running after he was rested for the 2-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka and hopes the tourists can keep India in the field for another hour on day three before doing damage with the ball.

The all-rounder said: "It's nice to come back in after a bit of time off and spend some time in the middle. After putting ourselves in and being 500 and whatever we are with two wickets left going into day three, we're in a very strong position."

He added: "[There were] no thoughts whatsoever of a declaration tonight because that would be stupid if we won the toss and bat first.

"You just get as many runs as you can out here in India and if we can bat for another hour tomorrow we'd be very happy with that."

Stokes knows the England bowlers must be on the money if they are to take a 1-0 lead on a pitch that has been flat in the first two days but will deteriorate.

The vice-captain said: "Generally wickets don't get any better out here in India, especially when the heat blazes on it.

"It's going to get drier, it's going to break up, it's going to deteriorate but just because we've got out there and scored big first-innings runs, that doesn't give us the right to bowl them out twice, like we'd hope to do.

"We know we've still got a lot of hard work to do as a bowling unit here because it is tough to take 20 wickets anywhere, but out here sometimes 20 wickets is hard to come by, so we know we've got a big challenge ahead of us."

England surged to a 243-run victory on day four at Trent Bridge, with Bashir finishing with figures of 5-41.

The hosts started the day 248-3 thanks to a terrific partnership between Joe Root (122) and Harry Brook (109), ultimately setting the Windies a target of 385 to win.

Bashir bowled a spell of 3-8 in 15 deliveries, then put some gloss on his performance by rounding off the tail with the dismissals of Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the win, captain Stokes said: "I didn't see it happening that quickly after the opening partnership, I thought they played well.

"You could see at the end of our innings the wicket started misbehaving more than it did in the first three days, a couple were bouncing and then keeping low.

"I thought the way we fought back after that first wicket was impressive, Bashir getting five wickets on a wicket that didn't really do that much.

"I thought he showed his class and his ability to be able to change his pace and undercut the ball. The wicket of Jason Holder showed the world what he's got."

England will now target a series sweep when the Windies go to Edgbaston next week, before taking on Sri Lanka in three Tests between late August and early September.

"It has been a great start after a long break between Test series. I think we've played some good cricket but I still think we can get better," Stokes said.

"I'm really looking forward to the next four matches."

McCullum and Stokes have been tasked with transforming England's fortunes in five-day cricket after captain Joe Root stepped down and coach Chris Silverwood was dismissed following a torrid run of one win in 17 Tests.

England got off to a great start to the new era at Lord's, Root scoring an unbeaten 115 to guide the hosts to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Stokes' side next head to Trent Bridge on Friday and can wrap up series victory over the world Test champions with a win in Nottingham.

While results will be undeniably at the forefront of McCullum's tenure, Stokes heaped praise on the New Zealand great for the feel-good environment he has instilled at England.

"It was fantastic," Stokes said of the win at Lord's as he addressed a news conference on Thursday.

"Obviously coming into the second game with a win under our belts straight away, with me captain and Brendon as coach, it's better than losing.

"One of the great things I've found about the last couple of weeks is genuinely just how much fun it has been.

"Sometimes the pressures of being an international cricketer, of delivering performances on a weekly basis, can get challenging.

"But we're playing for England and, when you play for your country, first and foremost the thing is to make sure you have as much fun as you can."

England will look to complete the series win before the third and final Test at Headingley, and Stokes believes the overhead conditions at Trent Bridge could serve his bowlers well.

"We're very evenly matched, especially in English conditions," he added. "Any overhead [cover] suits both our bowling attacks.

"We know that every time we go up against New Zealand it's never an easy ride. The game pretty much went to the wire until day four and we don't expect anything less."

Stokes also aimed to temper expectations surrounding Matthew Potts, who collected match figures of 7-68 on his Test debut, including the wicket of Black Caps captain Kane Williamson in both innings.

"The way that he started last week was obviously amazing," said Stokes. "It was pretty much a dream debut for him but I think the most important thing from a senior player point of view, and even for the coaches, is making sure that he keeps improving. And, if things don't go his way this week, it's not the be-all and end-all.

"But he's a fantastic competitor, that's why he got the opportunity to play.

"I obviously had to use him in a slightly different role because he normally takes the new ball for Durham, but he came on and I think he took a wicket three or four times in his first over when I asked him to do it. 

"I'll be looking to use him in the same way, to come in and affect the game and hopefully try and take a wicket when we need one."

England were all out for only 204 after Stokes, leading his country for the first time in the absence of Joe Root, won the toss and asked the tourists to bowl under grey skies on Wednesday.

They made a better fist of it in the second innings, setting the tourists 200 to win when they were dismissed for 313 behind closed doors on the final day at the Rose Bowl.

West Indies were in deep trouble on 27-3, with John Campbell also back in the pavilion retired hurt after being struck on the toe in a hostile spell from Jofra Archer.

Jermaine Blackwood came to the rescue with a classy and composed 95, putting on 73 for the fourth wicket with Roston Chase (37) to set up a brilliant victory for Jason Holder's side.

Stokes said there was no point in rueing his call at the toss or wishing Broad would have been selected, and he was pleased to see the paceman state he was angry to be overlooked in a television interview.

All-rounder Stokes said: "It was a very hard-fought Test match. It's always great when games can go to day five. The level of cricket played was fantastic.

"Ideally we would have liked to have got more runs in the first innings.

"We got ourselves into great positions at times with the bat to kick on and get 350 or 400, and we weren't ruthless enough. We didn't manage to grasp the game as we would have liked.

"I stand by the decision we made to bat first. We've got to be good enough to put first-innings runs on the board."

Asked about Broad's omission, Stokes told Test Match Special: "If I was to regret that decision then it doesn't send a good message to guys who played.

"I thought Stuart's interview was absolutely brilliant, to see the emotion and desire he still has burning inside him is great to see as a senior player. And it shows he's nowhere near done."

Root is set to return as skipper when the second Test gets under way at the bio-secure bubble of Old Trafford on Thursday.

England took an unassailable lead in the three-match series – their first in Pakistan since 2005 – by seeing out a 26-run win in a nail-biting end to the second Test on Monday.

An 80-run stand between Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz looked to have put Pakistan on course for victory in Multan, but Mark Wood felled both men before Ollie Robinson had Mohammad Ali nick behind for the final wicket in a dramatic finish.

While Pakistan have now lost three straight home Test matches for the first time since 1959, England brought an end to their 22-year wait for a red-ball triumph in the country.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the victory, Stokes, who has overseen eight wins in his nine Tests as skipper, praised England for redefining the format.

"We do understand how special an achievement this is, but as we keep saying, these series victories and these wins are part of a much bigger picture in what we're trying to achieve," he said.

"When I first got the job, I just wanted to come in and just try and change a few things up and get things going in a different direction. 

"We were never focusing too much on results when I came into the job, and obviously the bigger picture and stuff like that, but it's been an amazing nine games to start off with.

"I just feel very honoured and very privileged to be a part of something like this and having everyone, not just the players but the backroom staff and everyone that works alongside us, being on the same path. It's really, really good.

"I knew how much enjoyment the public would get out of seeing England play Pakistan in a Test match in Pakistan. I don't feel like we're playing away, if that makes sense. 

"The way in which the crowd come and watch cricket, they just want to see good cricket. We walk off to people enjoying what they've just watched. That's what we want to do.

"Wherever we go in the world, we want people to enjoy the cricket, and the more we can do that, the more Test cricket stops getting spoken about like it's the losing form of cricket, because it's definitely not.

"All we can do is try to create something where we people want to be a part of the long format going forward."

England will head to Karachi for the final match of their long-awaited tour, which gets under way on Saturday. 

Stokes, who has won his first four Tests since taking over as England's red-ball captain, will make his final ODI appearance against South Africa at Durham on Tuesday.

The all-rounder was instrumental in England's crowning achievement in the format, producing a remarkable 84 not out and registering eight in an enthralling Super Over to steer the side to victory in the 2019 World Cup final against New Zealand.

The 31-year-old will play his 105th ODI against the Proteas, having averaged 39.44 runs and taken a total of 74 wickets across his previous 104 outings in the format.

Speaking to Nasser Hussain for Sky Sports ahead of his one-day swansong, Stokes shed further light on his decision to focus on Test and Twenty20 cricket.

"It was a number of things, I think the schedule, everything that's expected of us these days is just, for me... it feels unsustainable," he said.

"It was actually after the first one-day game [against India last week], one person I spoke to [said] probably the best thing that was said to me, which was, 'if there's any doubt, there's no doubt'.

"As I said in my statement, this England shirt deserves 100 per cent of whoever wears it, and unfortunately, I didn't like the feeling of not being able to contribute in the way that I want to be able to. As an all-rounder I want to contribute with the bat, I want to contribute with the ball.

"Also [I didn't like the feeling of] stopping someone else being able to progress in this format for England, who I know is desperate to go out there and able to give the captain and the coach 100 per cent of themselves.

"When I thought about it long and hard and realised I don't think I can do that in all three formats after how the body felt after the Test series, it was easy, knowing that I can't go out there and give my all."

Stokes, who has made 83 Test appearances for his country, revealed giving up one of the white-ball formats to prolong his career was something he had considered for some time.

But he admitted he struggled to choose between ODI and T20 cricket, adding: "Yeah, it was never going to be an easy one.

"I always knew that at some point, I'd have to choose one of the white-ball formats to continue with, I just didn't know which one.

"After that one-day game, it just hit me in the face. I had a quick chat with Jos [Buttler] after the game and said if the game was in a different situation, I would've carried on bowling.

"Now, being the captain of the Test team, and with how much cricket we've got coming up, I've also got to bear in mind that I've got to look after my body because I want to play as long as I possibly can. 

"I look at the way Jimmy and Broady's careers have gone when they stopped playing white-ball cricket, and that's what I want to do. I want to play 140 or 150 Test matches for England.

"It's come a lot earlier than I would have liked it to, at 31 years of age, to give one of the formats up, but there's longevity that I've thought about.

"Hopefully when I'm 35 or 36 and still playing Test cricket and T20 cricket, I can look back on this decision and say I'm very happy with the decision I made."

England started a new era under Test captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum by beating New Zealand 3-0.

They went on the attack in three big run chases to whitewash the Black Caps, who defeated India to win the inaugural World Test Championship final last year.

England will get the chance to continue riding the crest of a wave at Edgbaston on Friday, aiming to draw the series 2-2 in a match that was due to be played at Old Trafford last year, only for India to head home early due to fears over an increase in coronavirus cases in their camp.

Asked if England can be even more positive in the longest format, Stokes replied: "If there's a team that can, it's us."

Stokes did not play in the four Tests against India last year, as he was taking a break to protect his mental health while also recovering from a broken finger.

The all-rounder is relishing an opportunity to maintain the momentum now, though.

"It is a bit strange," he said. "It is different opposition, but I made it very clear after the New Zealand series how we're going to do things, and we're going to go out there and try to operate in the same way."

James Anderson replaces Jamie Overton after missing the victory over the Black Caps at Headingley due to an ankle injury, while wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings plays as Ben Foakes has not fully recovered from COVID-19.

Paceman Jasprit Bumrah will captain the tourists for the first time in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who is sidelined after contracting coronavirus.

India have not won an away Test series against England since 2007, and they have never won at Edgbaston in the longest format, losing six matches and drawing one.

Bairstow in the form of his life

Jonny Bairstow has thrived on having license to play with freedom in a new dawn for England.

Bairstow and former captain Joe Root were outstanding with the bat against New Zealand, scoring 394 and 396 runs respectively in six knocks.

The powerful Bairstow has racked up 774 runs this year at an average of 64.5. Only in 2016 (1,470 runs at 58.8) has he scored more in a single year since his debut in the format in 2012.

Kohli closing in on landmark as he eyes elusive century

Virat Kohli was unable to score a long-awaited century against Sri Lanka in March after stepping down as captain.

You have to go back to November 2019 for his last Test hundred, which came against Bangladesh. 

Kohli only needs another 40 runs to reach the 2,000 mark against England in Tests, a feat that only Sachin Tendulkar (2,535) and Sunil Gavaskar (2,483) have achieved.

Stokes captained England to a comfortable triumph over the West Indies at Lord's on Friday, winning by an innings and 114 runs. 

Anderson ended his glittering career in style, bowling out Joshua Da Silva (9) for his 704th and final wicket for England. 

"A lot of people turned up to watch us but it was great to send Jimmy off the way he deserves," Stokes said.  

"We weren't quite banking on it to finish on day three but it is an amazing crowd. He is one of the 'GOATs' of English cricket.

"We had Gus Atkinson on debut with a chance of getting a 10-fer and Jimmy in his last game.

"It would have been an amazing end for him to take the last wicket like his great mate Stuart Broad but the one positive is no-one will lose sleep over it as he is the one who dropped it, he only has himself to blame."

Meanwhile, Atkinson became just the 19th male player to take a 10-fer on his Test match debut, his figures of 12-106 are the fourth-best anyone has managed in their first match.

The Surrey fast bowler claimed the final wicket on Friday to cap off a memorable debut, drawing praise from Stokes. 

"Unbelievable. The first time I saw him in person was against India at the World Cup. I had seen him on TV before but when you observe someone in person you get an understanding," Stokes added. 

"He isn't just about out-and-out pace, he has the skill as well. His ceiling is so high. Jamie Smith as well, two players having excellent debuts."

The captain and all-rounder combined with opener Ben Duckett to chase down the 55 runs required to complete a sweep against the hosts in Tuesday's first session, completing a 3-0 win.

Having won just two Test matches in their previous 30 attempts in Pakistan, England not only made their own history, but also became the first red-ball side to win every game of a three-match series in the country.

It continues Stokes' near-flawless start to his captaincy, less than a year after succeeding Joe Root, and he suggested their success came down to an unshakeable confidence in both sides of their game.

"It has been perfect," he said. "Whoever I threw the ball to, they seemed to deliver. A lot gets said about the way we bat, but the way we applied ourselves with the ball has been top drawer.

"It all comes down to belief. The belief I have in taking the guys out in the field with me. At no point did I not believe in the team and what we are trying to do.

"The confidence everyone has in themselves and the people around them is unbelievable. To be able to lead a group [like that], it is a very special feeling."

With regulars Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Broad missing, several younger players were able to stake their claim on the tour.

After impressing on the T20 tour in September, Harry Brook top-scored with a century in each match and 468 runs overall for the series, while teenager Rehan Ahmed claimed a five-for on debut in Karachi.

Stokes was reluctant to pinpoint individuals, claiming every player "has stood up at some point and delivered some kind of match-winning performance".

But he had no hesitation in highlighting the duo's contribution, adding: "Harry Brook has been unbelievable this series. The amount of runs [he has scored] and the way he has done it is a serious treat to watch.

"Rehan, [at] 18 years old. He is not the finished article but to have that ability to affect the game is exciting going forward for English cricket."

Having not played a red-ball tour in Pakistan amid security concerns since 2005, England's long-awaited return was celebrated by supporters on both sides, and Stokes was quick to thank them all too.

"We have got the best fans in the world, but the people of Pakistan who came out and cheered the game of cricket on, we felt the cricket we played was being celebrated and everyone enjoyed their time," he added.

"We came here to win but we also came to play an exciting brand of cricket and to get people in to watch. I want to say thank you to the people of Pakistan."

Yorkshire's Brook has taken to international red-ball cricket with ridiculous ease, amassing 623 runs from his eight innings in Stokes and Brendon McCullum's side.

While the 23-year-old did not manage a fourth straight century, having scored three tons in Pakistan, his contributions were again vital against New Zealand in the first Test at Mount Maunganui.

Brook scored 89 off just 81 deliveries in the first innings and a 41-ball 54 in the second to help England to a crushing 267-run victory – their 10th win in 12 Tests under Stokes.

He is scoring at a strike rate of 96.88 and averaging 77.87, owing to the aggressive brand of cricket Stokes and McCullum have instilled, much to his captain's delight.

"Brooky is carrying on from his amazing series in Pakistan," Stokes told Sky Sports after Sunday's win over the Black Caps.

"He is a fantastic talent. I think he will go on to be a global superstar.

"The more senior guys with the bat have to take a lot of credit for allowing the young guys to go out and express themselves.

"They are trying to put on a show, which is what everyone wants to do and is being allowed to do. It has taken the weight off everyone's shoulders and the expectation only comes from the dressing room."

Victory over New Zealand marked a sixth straight Test victory for a reinvigorated England, with James Anderson and Stuart Broad taking much of the credit for their record-breaking exploits.

The veteran pair became the most successful partnership in the history of five-day cricket, tallying 1,009 wickets combined by the end of the match to surpass the previous best of 1,001 achieved by Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.

Stokes was again keen to deflect the praise away from his own captaincy methods as he lauded the wealth of riches he can call upon with both the bat and ball.

"Not only have I got an unbelievable bowling attack, we've also got a seriously skilled and very brave batting line-up," he added. 

"As much as it is me captaining the side, the team obviously have to take a lot of credit for the sort of record I have as a captain, even more than myself."

Those were the words from commentator Ian Smith that stick long in the memory from the dramatic 2019 World Cup final, England winning the 50-over competition after a culmination of four years of planning.

But Smith's dramatic exclamation, the spectacle, and the complete chaos at Lord's would not have been possible without Christchurch-born Ben Stokes.

England were reeling at 86-4 chasing 242 in tricky conditions against an unrelenting New Zealand attack, before Stokes – aided by a fortuitous dive – struck an unbeaten 84 to take the final to a Super Over.

Not satisfied with his fifth half-century of the tournament, and arguably the greatest white-ball innings of all time, Stokes added eight runs in the subsequent Super Over as England were crowned world champions on the bizarre boundary countback ruling.

The all-rounder's crowning moment in white-ball cricket came just three years after conceding four consecutive sixes in the last over of the T20 World Cup final as Carlos Braithwaite powered West Indies to victory.

That response typified the gritty character of Stokes, whose decision on Monday came to prolong his Test captaincy and career with England.

Here, Stats Perform looks back at the data underpinning a remarkable ODI career, which came to an end after Stokes' last outing against South Africa at home ground Durham on Tuesday.

Australian dominance

Stokes will further haunt Australian cricket after his Headingley heroics, though he laid the platform for years of torment in ODI cricket.

The 31-year-old posted his maiden ODI fifty against Australia in Perth in 2014 and recorded his best career figures in the format against England's fierce rivals, taking 5-61 in 2013 at Southampton.

He also managed his highest score in 50-over internationals against Australia, finishing unbeaten on 102 in the Champions Trophy in 2017 at Edgbaston in a one-sided victory for England.

Despite playing his most ODIs against India (20), Stokes accumulated his most runs against a single country when playing Australia (652 in 17 matches).

While enjoying various clashes with Australia, Stokes' ODI career ended with somewhat of a whimper, managing just 48 runs in three innings against India before scoring only five in his final match at Durham.

Though failing to deliver in the closing stages of a glittering 50-over international career that spanned 11 years, Stokes retired having scored 2,924 runs at an average of 38.98.

That included three centuries, 21 fifties and just six ducks, having bludgeoned 238 fours and 88 maximums. His strike rate of 95.26 is the sixth-highest among England batters to have played over 50 innings.

With the ball, Stokes bowled 518.2 overs – 3,110 deliveries – and claimed 74 dismissals at an average of 42.39, going at just over a run-a-ball six runs per over throughout his career.

The complete cricketer

"No way! No, no way! You cannot do that, Ben Stokes," Nasser Hussain exclaimed on Sky Sports as Stokes produced a remarkable leap and one-handed catch over his head to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo in England's World Cup opening 104-run win over South Africa in 2019.

Stokes will take rightful plaudits for his batting and bowling achievements, but credit must also be granted for his fielding ability – a star in all three facets of the game.

Only seven players have taken more catches for England in ODI cricket than the 49 of Stokes.

He is also part of an exclusive club of players to take three catches in a single ODI innings for England, with Chris Woakes (four against Pakistan in 2019) the only player to take more in one match.

Employed in the hot zones where the ball is expected to go, whether that be deep-midwicket, long-on or extra cover, Jos Buttler's side will sorely miss Stokes' athleticism and gun fielding.

Leaving a Lord's legacy

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The inevitability of Stokes' Lord's heroics was undeniable, though none could expect victory to come about in the fashion it did.

He scored five fifties and averaged 66.4 across 10 innings in the World Cup that ended with the defining innings of a game viewed by many as the greatest of all time.

Yet without a contentious umpiring decision in a moment of carnage and a Trent Boult overstep on the boundary, Stokes would never had the opportunity to be the hero for England.

Stokes, requiring nine off three to win the final, produced a despairing dive and saw his outstretched bat deflect the ball to the boundary for four overthrows and six runs in total – a clear umpiring mistake.

But with two needed off the final ball, Stokes opted to nudge a full toss into the leg side, appreciating a one would keep England in the game as opposed to taking the risk of being caught, such was his calculated thinking amid the chaos in Lord's sun.

More heroics were to follow in the Super Over, smashing eight off just three balls to take England to 15 before Buttler and Jason Roy's run-out of Martin Guptill sealed a memorable triumph.

Fittingly, Stokes finished with five fours and two sixes in his match-defining 84 off 98 deliveries, the most times a player found the rope in the final that was decided by boundary countback.

If his ODI legacy is defined by one game, it should be the one in which he held his nerve while chaos ensued all around him.

Another difficult session for the tourists, who have already lost the series after Australia won the first three matches, saw the hosts move to 209-3 as Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja built a partnership of 92.

Khawaja was dropped by Joe Root as England went wicket-less in the first session at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but a more worrying sight came when Stokes went off clutching his side after sending down a series of short balls.

And England subsequently released an update during lunch that confirmed he was being treated for left side tightness and "would be assessed over the next hour".

Stokes, who returned to the side for the series after taking a break to protect his mental well-being, has scored 101 runs with the bat at an average of 16.83. With the ball, the all-rounder has taken four wickets.

England captain Stokes has been out since the start of August with a hamstring injury but was seen in the nets bowling at full pace ahead of the next Test, which starts on Tuesday in Multan.

Former team-mate and bowling coach James Anderson says Stokes is firing on all cylinders as he prepares to return.

"He looks great. He has worked really hard on his fitness and looking as strong as I've ever seen him," Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, said to BBC Sport on Sunday.

"He's had a good bowl in the nets and looks good to go."

Anderson acknowledged that managing Stokes' workload could work favourably for England, who will expect spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashar, as well as part-time option Joe Root, to do most of the bowling.

"When we're talking about Ben's workloads and his bowling, it might play into our hands with that, with the spinners potentially playing more of a part," Anderson added.

England did not miss Stokes in the first Test, battling to victory by an innings and 47 runs despite conceding 556 to Pakistan in the first innings last week.

Joe Root's stunning 262, coupled with Harry Brook's remarkable 317, led the fightback before left-armer Leach took 4-30 from just 6.5 overs in Pakistan's final-innings collapse.

Questions remain whether the same pitch will be employed in Multan, where cracks were already showing, instead of a new surface.

"Going off the last game, we did see it go up and down, mainly down, towards the back end," Anderson continued.

"The cracks started opening up. I'm no groundsman, but I don't think you can make cracks go back together that easily, certainly in three days.

"You'd expect it to do something off the cracks and with it being dry and hot again, you'd expect the spinners to play more of a part.

"We don't know what we’re going to get. It could be another pitch, or they have repaired this one really well and it's flat again."

England have transformed their red-ball fortunes under captain Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, winning 13 of their 18 Tests after embracing a free-flowing, attacking mentality in the longest format.

An Ashes series victory proved a challenge too great, though, with England recovering from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 – a result that saw Australia retain the urn.

Stokes' tactics have come into question, with England's insistence on attacking sometimes their downfall, and Gower believes the all-rounder may look back with slight regret.

Gower told Stats Perform: "Stokes says that he doesn't want to worry about hindsight, which doesn't win you any games and all the rest of it.

"But there will be thoughts along those lines, because when they look at it next year, it says 2-2 and you were part of that team that could have regained The Ashes.

"Stokes could have been At The Oval, with that little urn in his hand saying I have regained the Ashes or you better say 'we' with this team ethic.

"That would be there again for all to see for the rest of history. But I'm afraid it’s not quite the case."

While Gower suggested Stokes may reconsider his plans at a future date, the former England captain still hailed the new approach against the red ball.

He added: "My view is a mixture of old and new. I love the new approach, especially the culture that Stokes and McCullum have bred in the team since that partnership came together last year.

"I'd imagine that playing in that dressing room must be an enormous pleasure because it takes the pressure off a bad day, takes the pressure off failure, and it encourages people to look ahead.

"The one thing that could have made this series different is being slightly more match aware, slightly smarter at key moments.

"England could have made more runs in the second innings at Edgbaston, put themselves further ahead, played Australia a little bit further out of the game made it harder for them to win the game. In the end, Australia win the game.

"England could have batted like Stokes did at Lord's when the bouncer barrage was coming, Stokes took the blows to the body, and others played shots that got them out.

"There was a collapse from 180 for none, as it were, suddenly were 200 for plenty. And things like that change games in Test cricket.

"Five-day cricket is all about sustaining the effort and the quality throughout, but a bad hour or a bad session can cost you games and that's what happened at Lord's."

A high-quality Ashes series was likely only robbed of a winner due to the rain at Old Trafford, where the fourth Test was washed out on the weekend with England in the ascendancy.

Australia return Down Under with the urn but Gower believes – despite the thrilling encounters – both sides may look back with some sense of a missed opportunity.

He continued: "I think for both teams, at the end of the series, Australia looked a bit muted, because although they retained the Ashes, they struggled in the last three games. 

"Australia would have rued the fact they let things slide a little bit, at the same time I'd give all the credit to England, for the way they played their cricket to put the pressure back on Australia. 

"It was interesting to watch the Australians, they had a very brief celebration in front of the crowd at The Oval but it wasn't sort of leaping up and down saying we've held the Ashes.

"You don't do laps of honour when you've drawn a series, you do laps of honour at the MCG when you have won The Ashes Down Under. Graeme Swann and the sprinkler and all the rest of it.

"It was probably almost a feeling of, actually, we've put everything on the field. They put everything into that series, both sides.

"At the end of it, not so much a relief but a sort of acknowledgement, that 2-2 is probably fair. You sit down and you feel relief, it's a shame that it's all over.

"People would have loved to see this thing, carry on almost you play 10 Tests, keep up the intensity, keep up the rivalry. But there's also a sort of sense of well, it's over now.

"You cast your mind back to all the ups and downs of six, seven weeks of high-pressure cricket."