Stokes explains his bowl-first rationale while remaining adamant about the fact ‘We are not stuck in our ways’.
Ben Stokes explains on England’s bowl-first habit ahead of third test.
If he wins the toss at Lord’s on Thursday, Ben Stokes has indicated that he will opt to bat and stated that England are not “stuck in our ways” about wanting to bowl first. Despite winning the toss and choosing to bowl ten times out of twelve occasions as captain in home Test matches, including two of two in this series, Stokes disputed that this is “a tactic of ours” or England’s “preference.”
Stokes’ decision to bowl was justified when England chased down 373 in the fourth innings at Headingley. However, Brendon McCullum admitted that they had made a mistake at Edgbaston when they were unable to bat out the last day and lost by 336 runs.
Only twice in home Test matches has Stokes opted to bat first: once against Australia at Edgbaston in 2023 and once against the West Indies at the Utilita Bowl in 2020, when he filled in for Joe Root. Overall, Stokes has chosen to bowl first 12 times out of 20. When Stokes has opted to bowl, England has won seven of ten games at home despite losing both of those Test matches.
Under Stokes’ direction, they have a solid run-chase record, winning 11 of 18 games in which they batted in the fourth innings, including six successful chases of targets weighing more than 250. Stokes, however, downplayed the importance of the toss, stating that his decision typically boils down to overhead circumstances.
“We are not stuck in our ways about it,” Stokes said. “I want to make that clear. It’s something that’s been built up. We bowled first at Edgbaston because there were decent overhead conditions, but that soon changed; the clouds broke off and the sun came out. I’m not the Met Office, so I can’t tell what’s going to happen after 10.30am.”
With temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius predicted for London for the Lord’s Test, Stokes made a suggestion that if he wins the toss, he will probably decide to bat. “Lord’s is meant to be really hot this week,” he stated. “I believe that whoever wins the toss will ultimately do the same thing if that is the case and the sun is shining brightly.
“Because we’ve had good success at chasing down totals in the fourth innings, it doesn’t mean that’s our preference… It’s not a tactic of ours to consistently bowl, if we win the toss.
“There’s nothing whatsoever to say we are stuck in our ways, but because we are very confident in our ability to get ourselves into a position in a Test match to be able to chase down a total in the fourth innings, I guess that’s why, if it is slightly bowler-friendly conditions in the morning, why we might mentally look to do that.”