Leg and Off: Did Ben Stokes err in his decision to bowl first in ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test?

The Ben Stokes-led England are placed in a tight corner at the end of Day 2 of the second Test against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham. The hosts conceded 587 in the first innings, and were reduced to 24-3 at one stage, before Joe Root and Harry Brook rescued the side to safety until it was Stumps.

The present circumstances all boil down to Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first after winning the toss. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan opined that the contentious decision might backfire this time around.

"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 after Stumps on Day 2.

"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?" he added.

On that note, let us take a look at the pros and cons of Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first after winning the toss in the second Test against India at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

#1 Both sides have to bat their first innings before judgement is passed

The same narrative of Ben Stokes making the wrong call at the toss had dominated the proceedings after the initial stages of the first Test. With similar sunny conditions, and a good pitch on offer, pundits were baffled as to why the England skipper relied on tradition over ideal batting conditions and put the opposition in first.

However, soon after the bowlers responded to induce a colapse, and England got within touching distance of India's first innings total of 471, all the talk was quashed. Post that, knowing the fourth innings advantage at the venue, the tables turned, and Stokes' call was proved to be right.

When it comes to the scenario in Edgbaston, the current scenario looks worrisome for England. However, if conditions do not deteriorate, the hosts are well capable of inching closer to India's total with their surreal batting depth. Not to forget that the top-two ranked batters in the format are sharing the crease currently.

If England are bundled out on Day 3, and India have an opportunity to create an out of reach target and give their bowlers ample time for get 10 wickets, that is when Stokes' decision can be slammed unanimously, but not before that. If such a scenario happens, England will be reminded of how they passed on the chance to bat on a road of a pitch for the first two days without any pressure of an already established first innings total ahead of them.

#2 Timing and Situation make England's decision look worse than it actually is

There was not much outrage about Stokes' call to bowl first at the end of Day 1 because India's score of 310-5 was nothing that England had not handled before. In the series opener, they made a comeback after the visitors posted 359-3 on Day 1.

But the fact that England had to bowl and field so much on Day 2, that too with a strugging Brydon Carse and the heat, had an effect towards the end of the day. In the first Test, Ben Stokes and co. had wrapped up India's innings inside one session on Day 2, meaning that their batters were still fresh enough to tackle Bumrah and co.

But in Edgbaston, with Gill making the bowlers and fielders running ragged, they were a deflated bunch in terms of fatigue, body language, and mental strength. England then had to come into bat arguably at the worst possible time, the final couple of hours in the day.

It was evident that being on the field for more than a day and a half took a serious toll. The nagging period of play ahead of stumps turned out to be a nightmare as the top order could not deal with the Indian pacers who had a spring in their step.

Yes, the ball was doing a bit in the air and off the wicket, and Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj were probing, but in no way were the conditions that harsh to warrant a score of 24-3 in the eighth over.

Had England availed the opportunity to come into bat at any other stage except that, whether it be before the Tea Break, or fresh on Day 3, such a collapse might not have happened. As a result, the question of Stokes' decision at the toss might not have dissected so much.

It is not the fact that England conceded 587 that is calling the decision into question, but rather the aspect of trailing by 510 runs with just seven wickets in hand. If it was any other team, you could afford to dicount them and blame the decision at the toss, but it is too soon with his England side against this Indian bowling outfit without Bumrah.

#3 Stokes had to be aware that not everything was going to fall into place like the first Test

England's win over India in the first Test felt a tad anticlimatic, but the events preceding Day 5 were anything but. It was vindication for Stokes as his decision to bowl first ended on a winning note, but it was hardly a straightforward one. The win was far from being a fluke, but a lot did went England's way, and there were several moments where the decision to bowl first felt counter-productive.

Without the dropped catches and the collapses, England might have been staring at a target far greater than 371. Irrespective of how good the batting conditions are, and England's sublime chasing ability, such a target is improbable to achieve.

The Edgbaston Test is almost like a mirror showing England what the Leeds Test could have been without India's mistakes. With no collapses and dropped catches, England look like they are quite far behind in the game.

The Leeds Test was part England's brilliance, and part India's misforune. Now with Shubman Gill and co. ironing out their flaws, Stokes' decision at the toss is being more scrutinised, and perhaps even rightly so.

England are not oblivious to India's fighting spirit, which is why it was baffling for Stokes to bowl first on a batting day thinking that the tail would be mopped up again, chances will be spilled again, and an attainable target will be there on offer to chase down in the final innings.

#4 Chasing ability is a good trait to have, but should never be the Plan A

England's plans behind bowling first is never ifluenced by the conditions on offer initially on Day 1, it has got to do with their confidence of playing in the fourth innings.

With the dry summer ongoing, the hosts had to be aware that the initial overcast conditions will not remain on lock, and the first two days will be optimal for batting. But inspite that, Stokes opted to bowl, knowing that they have the ability to negate the opposition's first innings score with their superior chasing skills.

While confidence in chasing is a trait that every team wishes, it is something that they look forward to utilising when they are trapped in such a situation, and not an approach where you go and ask for it, making it a go-to approach in a way.

England have chased down many totals in the past, and they will continue doing so in the future as well, but they cannot expect a 100 percent success rate if they continue to bet against conditions. Furthermore, knowing their chasing ability, the oppositions will also adapt accordingly, like batting out a bit deeper in their first innings just like India have in this scenario.

Banking on your ability to chase might lead to batters missing out on the phase where the pitch is actually the best to play on at times, which is what England's batting unit might be subjected to.

The pitch may not deteriorate too much, or maybe it might, in both scenarios it is evident that batting conditions will not be as good as it was on Day 1 and Day 2. England had the chance to bat on the pitch that was not baked too much, without any footmarks or rough patches, but they deprived themselves of the chance by opting to gamble again with their chasing ability.