Stokes Open to Batting First at Lord’s Amid Heatwave Forecast

Stokes Open to Batting First at Lord’s Amid Heatwave Forecast

England captain Ben Stokes has downplayed suggestions that his team is fixated on bowling first in home Tests, hinting that he could choose to bat first in the upcoming third Test against India at Lord’s — especially with a summer heatwave forecast.

Stokes has won the toss and elected to bowl in 10 of 12 home Tests as captain — including the first two Tests of this series — but insists it’s not a pre-set strategy. "We are not stuck in our ways about it," he said ahead of the Lord’s Test, which begins Thursday. “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.”

England’s decision to bowl first at Edgbaston backfired, with India going on to dominate and win by a record 336-run margin. While the tactic was vindicated at Headingley, where England chased down 373 in the fourth innings, coach Brendon McCullum admitted the Edgbaston call was a misjudgment.

Despite a strong record chasing — England have won 11 of 18 matches batting in the fourth innings under Stokes, including six successful pursuits of 250-plus targets — the captain clarified that these outcomes don’t dictate their toss decisions. “Just because we’ve had success chasing doesn’t mean that’s our preference,” Stokes said. “It’s not a tactic of ours to consistently bowl first.”

With temperatures expected to reach 30°C in London during the Lord’s Test, Stokes suggested the conditions may tip the balance toward batting first. “Lord’s is meant to be really hot this week. If that is the case and the sun is out, blazing, I think whoever wins the toss will end up doing the same thing,” he said.

Stokes, known for his instinctive leadership style, added that he prefers to assess conditions on the day. “There’s a little bit of discussion in the morning, but when I get the whites out with the blazer on, I look up to the sky more than anything. It’s not rocket science.”

After England’s heavy defeat in the second Test, McCullum requested a livelier pitch with more pace and bounce for Lord’s. But Stokes expects the surface to behave in its traditional manner. “Lord’s generally plays the same way. There’s always a bit in it on day one to two; then if anything, it tends to speed up as the game goes longer.”

The third Test at Lord’s will be pivotal in the five-match series, with India currently leading 2-0. Stokes and his team will be eager to correct course on familiar turf — potentially with a change in approach at the toss.

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