England captain Ben Stokes walks to take his fielding position on day four of the first cricket test match between England and India at Headingley in Leeds, England, Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)When India were seemingly cruising at one stage in their first innings at 430 for 3, did Ben Stokes wonder if he had made a bad decision at the toss?It was a question put to him at the end of a famous run-chase of 371 at Leeds, and he had a quick repartee: “Good job that Test cricket is played over 5 days, isn’t it?” Stokes said with a laugh. “It was one of those things you decide before a ball is bowled. Both teams had a lot of luck going their way in certain phases. Plays and misses, could have dropped catches, from both teams, if everyone had held their catches, this might not have been a 5-day game,” Stokes told the BBC.A short while ago, on air in the BBC commentary, former England captain Michael Vaughan had hailed England’s efforts in the game as “Bazball with brains”.Stokes wouldn’t use those words, but talked about the attitude prevalent in the team.“We did what needed to be done. Under every moment we were put under pressure, we found a way to perform. This win wasn’t just about skill, but attitude in this dressing room. We know how fast this ground is for scoring. You look up batting or fielding; the team is going 4 per over without doing too much, if that makes sense. India had some special batting performances by a couple of players.”Another former England captain, Alastair Cook, discussed the toss decision through the prism of his days as captain.“I have been captain of a side. If we had been in that position, there would have been certain players at 430 for 3, who would have looked at the captain and gone, ‘you made a wrong choice!’ And even if it’s the wrong choice that Stokes made, all of them are 100% behind him. Everyone will be backing him, that’s a great trait,” Cook said on the BBC.Story continues below this adVaughan also pointed out how this team is rapidly maturing, which augurs well not just for this series against India but the Ashes against Australia.“They are a maturing team. Skillsets were never in question, but if you add the awareness and maturity that we saw today, they are on the journey to becoming a good cricket team,” Vaughan said. “Ben and Baz have created a fantastic vibe around the group. Even today, when you look at them, they were smiling, having a laugh, having a conversation with Rishabh Pant, they seem to be able to play as a group as if they are in their back garden. It’s an amazing mentality to have.He then talked about how the top seven in England’s batting can make all the difference in Australia.“This is the week I start to get excited. Ollie Pope at No.3, he has got it, great for Pope.. Harry Brook at 5, flamboyant. They got the glue [in Joe Root] at no 4. The opening partnership [of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley] is working. Then you’ve got Ben [Stokes] and Jamie Smith at 6 and 7. That seven, the last time England won in Australia, they had a rock-solid top 7. We knew the 7 before we landed in Australia. If England can continue playing like this week, they can get in that plane to Australia with a rock-solid 7.”Get latest updates on IPL 2025 from IPL Points Table to Teams, Schedule, Most Runs and Most Wickets along with live cricket score updates for all matches. Also get Sports news and more cricket updates.© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd