"I don't get when they say it was subcontinent style" - Former captain slams Ben Stokes ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has slammed Ben Stokes for his 'subcontinent pitch' comment after England's humiliating 336-run defeat to India at Edgbaston, Birmingham, in the second Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He pointed out that the surface at the venue has traditionally been a slow one.

Stokes got a lot of flak for his remarks. On being asked about the pitch, here's what the talismanic all-rounder said in a post-match interview (via BBC's Test Match Special):

"To be honest, it probably ended up being more of a subcontinent pitch as it got deeper and deeper into the game."

Vaughan didn't seem to agree with Stokes' assessment of the wicket at Edgbaston. Reacting to the England skipper's statement, the cricketer-turned-commentator said on the YouTube show, 'Stick to Cricket' (from 16:31):

"They thought it played more like a subcontinent-style wicket. Can you name me a pitch at Edgbaston that has had pace and bounce in it? So, I don't get when they say it was subcontinent style. Edgbaston, it might swing if the conditions come in, but it's always been slow."

It is worth mentioning that batters made merry at Edgbaston, with the two sides amassing 1692 runs across four innings. It was the highest-ever total score in Test matches between the two teams.

On the same show, former England cricketer David Lloyd opined Edgbaston pitch not having a lot of grass cover was a deliberate move. Suggesting that it was done to ensure that the match goes on till the fifth day, he said on the same show (from 17:21):

"That's the point that they were making all along, 'we wanted more grass'. Seeing the pitch two or three days before, there was grass on it, and then they took it off. Why did they take it off? Because they wanted it to last five days at Edgbaston. It's their financial season; they wanted five days."

India posted a massive 608-run target for England in the second Test. Skipper Shubman Gill stole the show with his superlative batting exploits, registering scores of 269 and 161.

The hosts were bowled out for 271 in the fourth innings. Pacer Akash Deep bagged six wickets for India in the essay and finished with a 10-wicket haul.

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"They will never hit him, will they?" - David Lloyd's hilarious suggestion to Ben Stokes after ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

On the same show, David Lloyd joked that Ben Stokes should have considered giving a few overs to opener Ben Duckett in the second Test. He reckoned that the 30-year-old would have troubled the Indian batters with his lack of bounce.

Cheekily remarking that Duckett's deliveries would have gone underneath the bat, Lloyd said (from 7:08):

"In this last Test match, I said, put Duckett on. They will never hit him, will they? No bounce, it'd go under the bat, it'd go underneath."

The five-match Test series between India and England is evenly poised at 1-1. The third Test will be played at Lord's, London, from July 10 to 14.