England stay patient after decision to ask India to bat backfires

England bowling coach Tim Southee invited judgment to be reserved until both teams have batted after a ‘tough’ opening day against India at Headingley.

Not since Nasser Hussain inserted Australia in the 2002-03 Ashes has a toss decision at the start of a five-match series been scrutinised as heavily as that of Ben Stokes.

Just as in Brisbane, when the hosts piled up 364 for two, the opening hours featured two centurions in Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal as England did not make use of what moisture there was in the pitch. 

‘It was a tough day, but we will get our opportunity to bat soon,’ said Southee after India hit 359 for three. 

‘When you win the toss and bowl you expect to make early inroads, but the Indian openers negotiated the first hour pretty well. Once the wicket flattened, it was a pretty good surface.

‘We have a job to do with the second new ball and then there are a few batters who will be keen to get out there.’

Only nine balls Gill faced would have gone on to hit the stumps, but Southee highlighted how the favoured mode of dismissal of Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse is caught behind, leading to them operating outside off-stump.

With others offering little threat, it was left to Stokes to provide two breakthroughs, striking in each of two spells that made up figures of two for 43. After two hamstring tears in 2024, the 34-year-old is back as an all-rounder, but England fans will not want him to overdo things in an Ashes year.

‘There’s always a question around that with the injuries he’s had, but he’s a player that makes things happen, a real X-factor player, and we saw that,’ added Southee.

‘When he’s doing that it’s tough to get the ball out of his hand. He’s out there making the calls, so if he’s feeling like he’s threatening he’s going to bowl. It’s as well as I have seen him bowl for a while.’