I'll guarantee that if India were 1-0 up, Ben Stokes would not have bowled first: Michael Vaughan

Former England captain and commentator Michael Vaughan has stated that if India were 1-0 up in the ongoing five-match Test series, England skipper Ben Stokes wouldn’t have bowled first in the ongoing Birmingham Test.

Vaughan asserted that the Indian fielders were exceptional in the dying moments of the second day of the ongoing Test. He further added that had Indian fielders caught in this manner, they would’ve gone 1-0 up in the series.

"You can't be harsh on Ben Duckett, because that is the way that he plays, and India have caught well. You go back a week at Headingley, if the same hands that I have seen today from India were in Leeds, they would possibly be 1-0 up. I'll guarantee that if India were 1-0 up, Ben Stokes would not have bowled first," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.

Furthermore, the former skipper reckoned that the England camp was tired after a lot of runs were leaked by the English bowlers against the Indian top seven. Also, he reckoned that he would be eager to watch Joe Root score a double century without playing any funky shots.

"I think there is tiredness in the England camp, which is a concern. I think the pitch was so turgid and placid that England found it difficult to extract. England have been hit for a lot of runs by the India top seven. At the moment, with the kind of a bowling attack I think that most countries would be looking at and thinking, "Yep, we should be able to score some runs”," he added.

"What intrigues me with Bazball, they have won some incredible games of cricket from positions where they have got no chance. This is a team that can make you look silly as a pundit if you completely write them off, but on this occasion, on this pitch, and on the back of a bowling attack that looks jaded and tired, how are they going to get 10 wickets again?" Vaughan opined.

"It is going to take a Joe Root double, he has got to play the Gill way. Don't need to play any funky shots," he concluded.

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