Good job Test cricket is over five days - Stokes

Captain Ben Stokes said "it is simply a bully occupation Test cricket is played complete 5 days" pursuing questions complete his determination astatine nan flip successful England's epic triumph complete India.

Stokes opted to section contempt perfect batting conditions connected nan opening time of nan first Test astatine Headingley.

India reached 430-3 successful their first innings, but England battled backmost and completed a superb tally pursuit of 371 precocious connected nan 5th day.

"You make a determination and you don't cognize what is going to happen," Stokes told Test Match Special.

"We did what we needed to do successful nan important moments of this game. This triumph is not down to conscionable nan skill, but nan cognition of this dressing room."

Stokes' determination to section followed a inclination successful his captaincy. On nan 10 occasions England person won nan flip successful location Tests since Stokes became skipper successful 2022, they person fielded first connected 9 occasions.

In those 9 matches, they person won seven, mislaid 1 and drawn one, nan second a crippled they astir apt would person won against Australia astatine Old Trafford successful 2023 had rained not wiped retired astir of nan last 2 days.

Headingley is besides a crushed suited to batting second. From nan 81 venues that person hosted Tests since 2011, Leeds is nan only 1 that has progressively produced much runs per wicket, innings connected innings, passim a match.

And Stokes was vindicated by triumph successful nan opener to nan five-match bid against India. England's pursuit, led by an astonishing 149 from Ben Duckett, was their second-highest successful Tests, bettered only by nan 378 chased to hit nan aforesaid opponents astatine Edgbaston successful 2022.

After nan opening time astatine Headingley, erstwhile skipper Michael Vaughan said he was "staggered" by England's decision to section first, but Stokes said: "It's a bully occupation Test cricket is played complete 5 days."

Asked if his belief successful his determination was ever shaken, Stokes said: "Imagine reasoning that measurement aft time one, earlier we've moreover had chance to bat connected a wicket."

India's illness from 430-3 to 471 came connected nan 2nd morning. Only 1 squad successful Test history has had much runs for nan nonaccomplishment of 3 wickets successful their first innings and gone connected to lose.

"You ne'er cognize what a wicket is going to play for illustration half an hr earlier immoderate cricket has been connected it," added Stokes.

"It looked for illustration location was a batch of apical moisture connected it, it felt for illustration location was. You do first what you deliberation will springiness you nan champion chance of winning nan game.

"Headingley does mostly rather a batch early on. I thought it was a awesome chance to perchance nick 3 aliases 4 successful nan first hour. The guidance are allowed to play well."

The 2nd Test astatine Edgbaston originates connected 2 July.

England could invited backmost gait bowler Jofra Archer for his first Test successful much than 4 years.

The 30-year-old has flooded a drawstring of injuries and played successful nan County Championship for Sussex this week, his first first-class crippled since 2021.

"It's ever awesome seeing Jofra retired there, playing for England, playing for Sussex," said Stokes.

"It's evidently been a very agelong clip for him and watching him get that reddish shot backmost successful his manus is very exciting."