Former England skipper Michael Vaughan didn’t hold back when reacting to Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first against India in the opening Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy at Headingley. Vaughan, who has played plenty of cricket on this ground, said he was “staggered” by the call, especially considering the dry nature of the pitch and sunny weather—conditions he believes were ideal for batting.

At the toss, Stokes justified the decision by saying he wanted to make use of early conditions. Interestingly, even Indian captain Shubman Gill admitted he would’ve chosen to bowl. But as it turned out, the surface flattened quickly, offering little to the bowlers.

India’s batters capitalised, with Shubman Gill leading the charge with an unbeaten 127 off 175 balls, well supported by Rishabh Pant (65 off 102), after Yashasvi Jaiswal (101) and KL Rahul (42) had laid a solid foundation. India ended Day 1 at an imposing 359/3.

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Michael Vaughan, speaking on BBC’s Test Match Special, didn’t mince words: “I’m a bit of an old-school traditionalist here at Leeds—when the sun shines, it’s a pretty straightforward decision to bat. It’s a dry surface, conditions looked great. I was stunned when I heard Stokes chose to bowl. It felt like tradition went out the window.”

While England have had success chasing at Headingley in the past, Michael Vaughan stressed that historical results shouldn’t dictate present-day decisions. “You have to read the conditions as they are, not rely on what happened a year or two ago,” he added.

He also felt that the decision handed India—led by a new captain and featuring a relatively young batting line-up—a big psychological advantage.

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Stokes managed to take two wickets himself, while Brydon Carse picked up one, though all three dismissals were more about Indian batters erring rather than English brilliance. England’s bowling consultant Tim Southee later defended the decision, saying the pitch had “a little bit of moisture” they hoped to exploit early. But for now, it’s clear the move backfired.