Ben Stokes was a proud captain as England registered a tense 26-run victory over Pakistan in the second Test in Multan on Monday (December 12) to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Ever since Brendon McCullum and Stokes assumed the roles of the head coach and captain, respectively, England have played an attacking brand of cricket in the longest format of the game. Under their leadership, the Three Lions have defeated New Zealand and South Africa at home and also won the one-off Test against India at Edgbaston.

Now, the series win with the same approach in Pakistan shows how far the Stokes-led side has come in the last seven months.

"Coming to the subcontinent, it's always a tough place to come and win [games of] cricket," Stokes told Sky Sports. "We know what we've achieved this week. We know that it's something that's not unheard of, but very rare to do, especially as an English team. We'll take it all in. We do understand how special an achievement this is this week, but as we keep saying, these series victories and these wins are part of a much bigger picture in what we're trying to achieve at the moment.

"When I first got the job, I just wanted to come in and just try and change a few things up and get things going in a different direction. We were never focusing too much on results when I came into the job, and obviously the bigger picture and stuff like that, but sheesh, it's been an amazing nine games to start off with. I just feel very honoured and very privileged to be a part of something like this and having everyone - not just the players but the backroom staff and everyone that works alongside us - being on the same path. It's really, really good."

England won the opening Test by 74 runs on a lifeless Rawalpindi pitch. The Test match was heading towards a draw before the visitors made a brave declaration in their second innings at 264/7, setting a target of 343 for the hosts, who were bowled out for 268 minutes before the close of play on Day 5.

In the second Test, the tourists were tested on a spinning track but their batters came out with flying colours while the English fast bowlers generated reverse swing and spinners chipped in by taking crucial wickets.

"We were happy with the way we applied ourselves this whole week with the bat, with the ball and especially in the field. We've got a few lads under the weather again so to be out here and grafting out in the field, it's been a great team collective yet again and the lads really deserve everything they got this week. This was another challenge presented to us, with the wicket being more in the slower bowlers' favour than last week, but the way in which our batters went out and applied themselves in tricky conditions was fantastic and we kept the scoreboard ticking over in the way in which we want to, even though there were wickets falling.

"It showed yet again how versatile our bowling line-up is. Bowlers can bowl well in England with favourable conditions, but to come here and do what our team has done over the first two matches is seriously impressive on slow, docile wickets."

Ben Stokes also hoped that England's ultra-aggressive approach would change the narrative that Test cricket is on decline.

"I knew how much enjoyment the public would get out of seeing England play Pakistan in a Test match in Pakistan, I don't feel like we're playing away, if that makes sense. The way in which the crowd come and watch cricket, they just want to see good cricket and even though we've won the first two games, we walk off to people just enjoying what they've watched. That's what we want to do.

"Wherever we go in the world, we want people to enjoy cricket, and the more we can do that - I keep saying it - the more Test cricket stops getting spoken about like it's the losing form of cricket, because it's definitely not. Days like this and Test matches like this - and last week as well - is what you live for, and you feel very honoured to be part of stuff like that. We understand the opportunities that are out there for people [in franchise cricket].

"We're not naive in that. All we can do is try to create something where we want people to be a part of the long format going forward as well. A huge part is the culture, what we have going on in the dressing room, and the style in which you want to go out and play and just taking the pressure off people."