Stokes on England's bowl-first habit: 'We are not stuck in our ways'

Ben Stokes has insisted that England are not "stuck in our ways" about wanting to bowl first and hinted that he will choose to bat if he wins the toss at Lord's on Thursday. Stokes has won the toss and opted to bowl 10 times out of 12 in home Tests as captain - including two out of two in this series - but denied that it is either England's "preference" or "a tactic of ours".

England chased down 373 in the fourth innings at Headingley to vindicate Stokes' decision to bowl, but Brendon McCullum conceded that they had made an error at Edgbaston after they failed to bat out the final day and slipped to a 336-run defeat.

Stokes has chosen to bowl first 12 times out of 20 overall, but has only twice chosen to bat first in home Tests: against West Indies at the Utilita Bowl in 2020, deputising for Joe Root, and against Australia at Edgbaston in 2023. England lost both of those Tests, and have won seven out of 10 at home when Stokes has chosen to bowl.

They have a strong record in run-chases under Stokes' leadership, winning 11 out of 18 matches in which they have batted in the fourth innings including six successful chases of 250-plus targets. But Stokes said that his decision usually comes down simply to overhead conditions, and played down the significance of the toss.