Dominant day vindicates Bazball belief: Crawley

England believe their Bazball obsession has been vindicated after one of the most destructive days of batting in Ashes history kept their hopes of regaining the urn alive.

Led by Zak Crawley's thumping 189 from 182 balls, England's went to stumps at 4-384 and on track for the fastest-scoring Ashes innings above 200 runs in history, at 5.34 an over.

It helped put the pressure firmly back on Australia. The tourists looked rattled for the first time in the series and went to stumps with the deficit already up to 67 runs.

England's all-out attack has been criticised at times in this series, with a fair argument to be made that it cost them in each of the opening two Tests where Australia took victory.

But Thursday was Bazball at its best; England piled on 178 runs from 25 overs in the middle session to take the game away from Australia in the space of two hours.

Asked if he felt the day vindicated England's belief in Bazball, Crawley was adamant it did.

"Yeah, I think we've shown that being positive suits our players," Crawley responded.

"At other times we absorb pressure, but most of the time we try and put pressure back on them and get them thinking about what they're doing rather than what we're doing.

"I feel like today was a really good day for that. And even yesterday, (Chris) Woakes bowled so well (with 5-62) and was putting pressure on them with the ball."

Crawley is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Brendon McCullum era.

He failed to pass 50 in his first 12 innings under McCullum, but was retained as an opener because of the style he played.

Thursday's innings took him to the top of the run-scoring charts in this Ashes series, after scoring 61 in the first innings at Birmingham and making three other starts.

The 25-year-old did it in style at Old Trafford, blasting 21 boundaries, hitting three sixes and making the fastest 150 in Ashes history, off 152 balls.

"It's fair to say that under any other coach or captain I probably wouldn't be playing this series," Crawley said.

"They've always said not to worry about being consistent, just to go out and try to win games for England.

"I think in some ways (McCullum and I) are similar. I'm at my best when I'm attacking and trying to put pressure on them and so is he.

"He maybe wasn't the most consistent but he played some incredible knocks and I think that's what he wants from me as well."