The significance of the moment was underlined when the entire squad emerged from the dressing room to share the final moments together — a release years in the making.
“We, at the end there when all the boys came out of the dressing room and had a little hug there and we’re like, finally, finally we’ve won one. So, yeah, good feeling,” he said.
On a surface that offered something for the bowlers throughout, England committed to a proactive approach in the fourth innings, a decision Stokes felt was essential against Australia’s relentless attack.
“There was only one way of going about, chasing that, that tally down which was to, to go out there and, and try and put the pressure on from ball one.”
Stokes also praised England openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, calling their partnership of 51 runs a “huge reason” behind the successful chase.
“When Zak and Ben started building a partnership the field started to go back and then we were able to rotate (the strike).
“It wasn’t just the boundaries that were allowing us to take that total down. It was the ones and twos and the running between the wickets,” he explained.