Jonny Bairstow’s innings showed benefit of giving players a clear message

I remember watching Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes batting together, pounding it all over the ground and thinking to myself this really was the start of a new era. It was 2016 in Cape Town, when the pair put on 399 and hit 13 sixes between them. Trevor Bayliss was a relatively recent appointment as England head coach and we were seeing the impact of his arrival and maybe also the effect of the Indian Premier League.

Fast-forward six years and we are at the start of another new era and everyone is talking about the same two batters after the pair of them – and particularly Bairstow on the final afternoon – swung that fantastic second Test against New Zealand in England’s direction.

I have bumped into so many people who were absolutely bowled over with England’s entertaining display at Trent Bridge and it has been a shot in the arm for Test cricket. The first two games have been excellent entertainment: when Rob Key, the managing director of England men’s cricket, told fans to strap themselves in and enjoy the ride he wasn’t kidding.

Stokes has already proved that as captain he is not only capable of talking the talk but of walking the walk. It takes a remarkable effort to concede more than 500 runs in the first innings and still be thinking only about victory. I played under two people – Mike Gatting and Adam Hollioake – whose focus was similar and who only thought about how their team could win a game no matter what position they were in. It is an approach that gives players real clarity and that they really enjoy. That is also the message we are hearing from the England dressing room.

The question is, how long will this be maintained? The new mindset is a very positive one, but it will be easier to play aggressive