Former England captain Michael Vaughan expressed his utter disbelief at Ben Stokes’ choice to bowl first against India in the opening Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy at Headingley on Saturday, June 20. With the sun beating down on a parched surface, Vaughan believed the decision to bat first was “easy.” However, Stokes, seemingly prioritizing historical data over the immediate pitch conditions, chose to discard “traditions,” a move Vaughan found “staggered” by.
Stokes, at the toss, explained his rationale was to exploit the early conditions, a sentiment echoed by Indian captain Shubman Gill, who also stated he would have opted to bowl. Despite this, the pitch quickly settled after an initial period of movement, transforming into a batting paradise. India’s batsmen capitalized decisively, with Shubman Gill remaining unbeaten on a magnificent 127 runs from 175 deliveries, supported by Rishabh Pant’s brisk 65 off 102 balls. The strong foundation for India’s innings was laid by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 101 off 159, and KL Rahul, contributing 42 off 78. By the close of play, India had amassed a commanding total of 359 for the loss of just three wickets.
Vaughan, speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, as quoted by ESPNcricinfo, articulated his surprise: “I’m a bit of an old-school traditionalist here at Leeds that, when the sun shines, it’s quite an easy decision, particularly with the build-up to the Test match and it being so dry and so nice. I was staggered… when I heard he was going to bowl first. I thought, traditions have gone out the window.”
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