sport news NASSER HUSSAIN: Ben Stokes produced the best five days of captaincy I've EVER ... trends now
Ben Stokes has just produced the finest five days of captaincy I've ever witnessed - either growing up as a kid, playing or commentating on the game.
To win a Test match in those conditions, on that Rawalpindi pitch, probably the flattest I've seen, was truly remarkable.
To win a match in these circumstances, you have to work out how to get 20 wickets, to score your runs quickly enough to give yourself time to get those 20 wickets, and the decision making process had to be clinical throughout. It was a masterclass.
Ben Stokes produced a captaincy masterclass as England recorded a famous win in Pakistan
An elated Stokes celebrates after England's 74-run victory in the first Test at Rawalpindi
Stokes literally had to get every decision right and even by getting every decision right, England won with just 10 minutes to spare.
First, he pushed this attacking batting line up out the door on day one, and when they came back in with more than 500 in 75 overs, they had bought time to push for victory.
I never doubted that they would get runs out here and at some lick because they won't get runs slowly with this batting line-up.
But what I was really looking forward to seeing was how Stokes would work out with his bowlers how to get more 20 wickets on that pitch. I played three Tests out here and I didn't see anything as dead as that.
Because he got the team's batting tempo right, he got the declaration spot on by dangling the carrot and making sure Pakistan had something to play for until the end.
England celebrate after Jack Leach's wicket of Nassem Shah was confirmed by DRS
Ollie Robinson (left) celebrates the wicket of Pakistan's Agha Salman just after tea on Monday
As well as Robinson, James Anderson also took four wickets - in another brilliant bowling show
That was crucial: if Pakistan had blocked for a period of time, it would have been so hard for England to get them out.
His decisions were precision. If there had been one second of doubt this win would not have happened, and that's what I really like about Stokes as a captain. He doesn't doubt himself.
If at tea on day four, he had questioned whether he had enough runs, and batted for just 10-15 minutes that evening, he would have lost that time and then 10 minutes between innings and we would be going to Multan 0-0.
He has talked the talk over the last six months about not playing for draws but he truly walked the walk.
If in any pitch was going to challenge that mindset it was this one and I don't know any other England captain, or any captain of any nationality actually, that could have gone out there and made that declaration on Sunday.
