"He Is Really Pushing The Envelope": England Coach Brendon McCullum On Ben Stokes

England's new red-ball head coach Brendon McCullum insisted he had nothing on the aggression of captain Ben Stokes after overseeing a 3-0 whitewash of his native New Zealand during his first series in charge. McCullum was known for a dynamic approach when captain of New Zealand and the attacking mindset now dubbed 'Baz ball', in deference to his nickname, was in evidence again during the third Test at Headingley on Monday.

England, after rain washed out the final morning's session, took just 15.2 overs to score the remaining 113 runs they required to reach a target of 296 for a seven-wicket victory that followed a pair of five-wicket triumphs over the Test world champions at Lord's and Trent Bridge.

Jonny Bairstow made a blistering 71 not out on Monday -- England's second-quickest Tests fifty of all time -- and shared an unbroken stand of 111 with former England captain Joe Root (86 not out).

Bairstow's innings followed a majestic 162 that revived England from the depths of 55-6 in their first innings.

It was all a far cry from the timid play that had so often characterised England's performances during a run of one win in 17 Tests prior to this series.

That rotten return led to Root's resignation as captain after team director Ashley Giles and coach Chris Silverwood were sacked following a woeful Ashes series loss in Australia.

McCullum, however, insisted he had not "done a great lot" while England were whitewashing New Zealand.

'Pretty special start'

"I am aggressive but I think Ben has got me covered," McCullum told the BBC.

"He is really pushing the envelope and sending a strong message that this is how the team will play."

"To walk away with a 3-0 series win against the best team in the world is a pretty special