Headingley Test: Why Ben Stokes chose to bowl first vs India - Ex-England captain explains
Ben Stokes (Pic credit: England Cricket)
NEW DELHI: England captain
Ben Stokes
' decision to bowl first in the opening Test of the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy against India raised eyebrows on a hot and sunny day at Headingley, but former skipper
Michael Atherton
believes the call was guided more by recent venue trends and England's strength in chasing than weather or intuition.
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"It was a really interesting call," Atherton said on the broadcast.
"All the numbers say bowl – the last six wins here have come from the team bowling first. But cricketing common sense says it's a hot day, and it's 30 degrees over the next couple days."
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Stokes, who won the toss and immediately sent India in to bat, seemed to rely on Headingley's recent history in county cricket, where the pitch hasn't deteriorated significantly over time.
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"I think in the end Ben has gone with the stats, what the pitch has done here at Headingley this year – it hasn't deteriorated – and also England's strength: they don't mind a chase," Atherton added.
India, meanwhile, began their post-Kohli, post-Rohit era under new captain Shubman Gill, with debutant Sai Sudharsan and returning Karun Nair in the batting line-up.
Shubman's Big Test Begins! India's Probable XI & Stokes' Mind Games | ENG vs IND 1st Test Preview
Former India keeper Dinesh Karthik acknowledged the transition and noted the intangible absence of Virat Kohli's energy in the field.
"When you're in a tough situation, you could look at Kohli and go, 'he's going to be there'. That is something India will miss," Karthik said. "His infectious enthusiasm, his ability to lift the team - that's not easy to replicate."
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