ENG vs IND 2025: Ben Stokes attributes knocking over Indian tail as main reason for win

England's red-ball skipper, Ben Stokes, credited his side's ability to clean up India's tailenders as one of the primary reasons behind their five-wicket win at Headingley in the first Test of the series. The hosts ended up winning the game by a comfortable margin of five wickets. 

Stokes credited both sides for playing "quality cricket", but seemed quite pleased with the attitude and commitment shown by his team members.

"It was all about our attitude and commitment, day in and day out; that’s what we focused on. Both teams played quality cricket, a great way to start the series. It was a very good wicket for batting. The way we knocked over the Indian tail was a big reason why we were able to chase down this score," stated Stokes during the post-match press conference.

Stokes stresses importance of calm approach in high-pressure chase

Stokes also shed light on the mindset of the batters prior to and during the run-chase of 371 runs in the fourth innings.

"When you’re chasing down totals like that, keeping the relaxed vibe as much as we can is so important to the mindset of someone going out there in the middle with the pressure of that situation. Everyone goes out there with a pretty clear mind about what we’re trying to do. [Our task] was pretty simple: if we bat the overs that are left in the game, we will win," concluded Stokes.

England scripted history by chasing down 371 runs at Headingley. It was the second-highest successful chase at the venue in Tests. It was also the third-highest successful chase in England in Tests and the second-highest successful chase for The Three Lions in the longest format.

Speaking about Stokes' performance, he ended up with figures of 4/66 in 20 overs and 1/47 in 15 overs. With the bat, he scored 20 (52) and 33 (51) in his side's first and second innings, respectively. It was a complete all-round outing for the seasoned campaigner.