"If India were 1-0 up, Ben Stokes would not have bowled first" - Michael Vaughan's stunning claim after Day 2 of ENG vs IND 2025 2nd Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan recounted the butterfly effect that could have altered the series' direction completely for India, impacting how Ben Stokes would have approached the toss as a result. Much like the first Test at Headingley, the captain chose to bowl first after winning the toss at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Although his decision to bowl first in Leeds was slammed, Stokes was proven right in the end after pulling things back with the ball, and chasing 371 in the fourth innings to claim a 1-0 lead in the series. England, once again, find themselves on the backfoot after conceding 587 in the first innings, and are left with a mountain to climb with the top-order already back in the pavilion.

Team India's slip cordon were on high alert as Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj went all out in a fiery opening spell with the new ball. The trio of Karun Nair, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill were at their sharpest best to claim catches behind the stumps, something which India had failed to do in the series opener.

On that occasion, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope were dropped by Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravindra Jadeja. Those spilled opportunities proved costly as both batters went on to make significant scores.

Vaughan noted that if India had claimed those catches, they would have won the Test, and explained how England skipper Ben Stokes would have never taken the gamble to bowl first with a series deficit.

"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.

"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 minute, wit is 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.

England bowled 151 overs in the first innings in reasonably warm conditions. To make matters worse, pacer Brydon Carse is struggling with a sore foot, while Ben Stokes' workload is also under the spotlight. With the frontline bowlers struggling, the hosts had to turn to Shoaib Bashir and Harry Brook towards the end.

"How are they going to get 10 wickets again?" - Michael Vaughan questions England bowling attack's ability against India

This is not the first time England have been on the receiving end of a mammoth first innings score. In the Bazball era, the team have conceded over 500 runs in the first innings on three occasions, but defied the odds to win the match each time. New Zealand scored 553 in Ben Stokes' first series in charge of the Test team, while Pakistan also breached the 500-run mark across two different tours, only to lose both.

Although Vaughan lauded the team's ability to bounce back, he does not feel that the current bowling attack is equipped to trouble the in-form Indian batting unit in the second innings.

"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

The former skipper opined that if England need to hang in the game, they will have to bat the entirety of Day 3.

"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

England will resume from their overnight score of 77-3, with both Harry Brook and Joe Root still unbeaten at the crease.