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In a clear message to England's captain Ben Stokes, Michael Vaughan has emphasised the importance of showing due respect to the visiting Indian team before shifting focus to the upcoming Ashes series in Australia. Vaughan cautioned that Stokes and his team must prioritise the immediate challenge posed by India to 'do the right thing' and not get prematurely distracted by their ambitions Down Under. This warning comes as England prepares for a five-Test series against India, which precedes their highly anticipated trip to Australia in November. There, they will endeavor to reclaim the Ashes urn on Australian soil, a feat not accomplished since 2011. While the Bazball era under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum has been largely successful, boasting 20 wins in 33 matches since 2022, Vaughan's advice serves as a reminder to remain grounded in the present contest.
I think you have got to do the right thing against India: Michael Vaughan's advice for Ben Stokes
Team India, meanwhile, is embarking on a new chapter, arriving for the series at Headingley without the formidable presence of recently-retired legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Despite India being in a transitional phase, Vaughan stressed that they cannot be underestimated. He specifically warned Stokes against taking this Indian side lightly, particularly with the demanding Ashes tour looming on the horizon.
"I think you have got to do the right thing against India," Vaughan said while speaking at the launch of The Overlap and Betfair's Stick to Cricket show ahead of first Test between England and India.
Vaughan also wants Ben Stokes to be best prepared for the all-important Ashes series against Australia which is slated to get underway in November. The five-match Ashes series will start from November 21.
"He’s got the tools to win, but there’s having the tools and then using them properly and just having that element of fortune every now and again. Getting your team to play to a level, getting the team to be smart at times, getting your team to win and that key moment. You need a little bit of fortune to do that as well. I do think if you do everything right and you prepare properly and you treat the game with respect, those elements and the rub of the green generally goes towards the team that deserves the win. I’m a big believer in that," Vaughan added.
"I think you have got to do the right thing against India. They’ve got to win, play the right cricket, respect the game. When they get Down Under, they have to prepare properly," he concluded.
Meanwhile, the first Test between India and England kicked off on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. England won the toss and elected to bowl first.
England's playing XI:
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir
India's Playing XI:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
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