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"I Was Staggered": Former England Captain Slams Stokes For Bowling First At Headingley

Rajgeeta Yadav

Micheal Vaughan slams Ben Stokes [Source: AP Photos]Micheal Vaughan slams Ben Stokes [Source: AP Photos]

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has criticised Ben Stokes for choosing to bowl first in the opening Test match against India at Headingley, Leeds. Vaughan was clearly shocked by the decision, especially after India dominated Day 1 by scoring 359 runs for just 3 wickets. 

Ben Stokes Faces Backlash Over Toss Decision

Vaughan, who knows the Leeds pitch very well from his playing days, said he couldn’t believe what he heard at the toss. Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, he said, 

"I am an old-school traditionalist here at Leeds that when the sun is shining, with dry weather, you bat," Vaughan said.

However, Vaughan also pointed out that teams shouldn’t blindly follow past records or previous matches when making decisions. He explained that each match is a new situation and captains need to make their decisions based on the present moment, not history. 

"I was staggered when he said he was going to bowl. Traditions are out the window. You have to pick your decisions on that moment, and not things that you did here years ago."

Vaughan also mentioned that England’s batting looks stronger than its bowling in the current setup, and that the bowling attack lacks experience. He said Stokes might have followed his instincts, and although that has worked in the past, this time it clearly didn’t.

Gill And Jaiswal Lead India's Dominance On Day 1

Meanwhile, India fully capitalised on Ben Stokes' decision. Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal gave India a perfect start by scoring a century in the very first session of the day. He built a solid 91-run partnership with KL Rahul, followed by a brilliant 129-run stand with captain Shubman Gill. The two set the tone for India’s innings and kept England’s bowlers under pressure throughout the day.

After tea, Jaiswal was dismissed, but Rishabh Pant came in and joined hands with Gill. The pair continued to dominate and added another century partnership. By the end of Day 1, India were cruising at 359 for 3. Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 127 runs, while Pant was not out on 65.

England’s bowlers had a tough day. Chris Woakes bowled 19 overs but failed to take a wicket and gave away 89 runs. Brydon Carse took 1 wicket for 70 runs in 16 overs. Josh Tongue bowled 16 overs as well but didn’t get any wickets, conceding 75 runs. 

Ben Stokes himself managed to take 2 wickets for 43 runs in 13 overs. Spinner Shoaib Bashir bowled 21 overs without success, finishing the day with figures of 0 for 66.

With India in a commanding position, England will now need a strong comeback to get back into the game.