Stokes and his England side are not just history makers they are the entertainers

This time it was opener Ben Duckett performing the heroics with his fantastic 149 helping his side to overcome 371 to beat India on the final day. It was the highest total England have ever scored on the fifth day of a test match - only beaten by Don Bradman's legendary Australian 'Invincibles' side who chased down 404 in 1948 at the same ground.

This was Test cricket at its greatest. A gladiatorial combat between two of the game's giants. It was box office stuff and it did not disappoint from start to end.

There were groans from England fans at the end of day one as India clocked up a hefty 359-3 having been sent it to bat by Stokes. The pitch did look a tad green at the start to be fair to the England captain but as the sun appeared batting looked easier and easier. It was clearly a good toss to lose for India. But did England get demoralised? Not on their nelly.

They did not wilt as young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal (101), captain Shubman Gill (147) and the exciting Rishabh Pant (134) took India to an imposing 471.

Day 2 heroics from Josh Tongue with the ball (4-86) proved key as he quickly removed the tail and prevented India rattling up an impossible total to overcome.

England side's of yesteryear would have wllted at being set 471 in the first innings. Not this England side, they see it as a challenge to overcome.

Ollie Pope (106) and Harry Brook (99) batted brilliantly to take the fight to the India seamers including world number one Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah's brilliance earned him figures of 5 for 83 but England could still not be crushed. With a bit of lower order tail-wagging they clung on to score 465, just six runs behind India and it was very much game on.

On a fantastic Headingley pitch which was staying batsman-friendly England's bowlers had to work their socks off again in India's second innings. Jaiswal and Sai Sudharsan went early but opener KL Rahul (137) showed his class.

Pant (118) performed heroics once again and England were staring down the barrel with India 333-4 and preparing to set England an almost impossible target above 400.

It was that man Tongue (3-72) who did the business again, smashing away the tail and skittling India out for 364. Game on and England needing 371 to win.

Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley saw England safely to stumps at 21-0 at the end of day 4.

Just the small matter of another 350 to knock off on the last day then. To repeat, those sort of scores nine times out of ten are not chased down. Most teams would not get close. Sir Geoffrey Boycott and his mates in the 80s might have knocked them off but it would have taken them two days to get there.

This England side are made of super strong stuff. They are confident in their abilities, score quickly and put the opposition bowlers under severe pressure.

Duckett and Crawley made it to lunch unscathed and only an early afternoon rain shower proved a stumbling block. Crawley went soon after for 64 and Pope followed for 8.

But Duckett was imperious with his sweeps and reverse sweeps finding the boundary with unerring regularity. When he finally went for a brilliant 149 England were as good as there.

Joe Root (53 no) and Jamie Smith (44 no) finished the job and in the end made it all look relatively easy.

It really wasn't but this England side have that extraordinary ability in their locker to do the unexpected.

They are history makers and more importantly entertainers.

Bring on the second test at Edgbaston next week!