“I was staggered when he said he was going to bowl” - Former captain blasts Ben Stokes in ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan slammed Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first after winning the toss in the first Test against India at Headingley, Leeds on Friday, June 20. The decision proved to be contentious as the visitors slammed 359-3 on Day 1, with both Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill cruising through their respective hundreds.

The decision at the toss was expected to be tricky as recent records favored the side bowling first, but the conditions at the venue on the given day, which included clear skies and a good batting wicket, dictated otherwise. In the end, Stokes decided to align with the venue's recent record and England's relatively solid record while batting last.

However, the second-string England frontline pace attack, along with Ben Stokes, could not make any impression at all as the Indian batters eased their way to set a positive tempo for the series. This marked only the first time since 2017 that the Men in Blue were able to post over 300 runs on the opening day of the tour.

Michael Vaughan, who has considerable experience playing at the venue for Yorkshire and England, opined that since the sun was out, it was a no-brainer to bat first on such dry conditions.

“I’m an old school traditionalist here at Leeds: when the sun is shining, with dry weather, you bat. I was staggered when he said he was going to bowl. Traditions are out the window. You look at the England side, and their strength is in the batting. There is inexperience in the bowling at the moment, but Ben clearly had a gut feeling, and sometimes that has worked," Vaughan said on Day 1 of the first Test (via The Independent).

The last time a side batting first won a Test match at Headingley was in 2016, when England posted 298, before skittling out Sri Lanka for 91 and 119 in the first and the second innings, respectively, to record a comprehensive win.

“We won’t know for sure until we see Jasprit Bumrah bowl on it" - Michael Vaughan refuses to brand Leeds pitch as flat before Stokes and co. bat

The Ben Stokes-led side were desperate for some assistance off the surface, but only a fraction of deliveries nipped off the wicket. The Indian batters' sound judgement coupled with the lack of movement in the air meant that the hosts had to toil hard. They were in the game for a bit when the older ball reversed for a bit, but it did not reap any significant rewards.

Several have already labelled the pitch as flat, given India scored at a run rate of 4.22 with utmost ease. However, Vaughan feels that until the Indian bowling attack has a go at the surface, especially Jasprit Bumrah, it is too soon to provide a ruling.

“We won’t know for sure until we see Jasprit Bumrah bowl on it. He can bowl you out with anything. Until I see that, I will hold my judgment on how flat this pitch is," Vaughan added.

Team India skipper Shubman Gill and deputy Rishabh Pant ended the day unbeaten on 127 and 65, respectively. The visitors will be on the lookout to post a massive total on the board to assume complete command of the series opener over Ben Stokes and co..

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Edited by Gokul Nair