'England played prankball'- Legendary bowler’s hilarious take on Day 1 of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Day 1 of the ongoing 3rd of the 5-match Test series was surprising. Ben Stokes, England skipper, decided to bat first on the fresh Lord's track after winning the toss. The home team is mostly known for their attacking approach with the bat, which is labelled as the 'Bazball.' But in the ongoing match, they showed a total offensive approach.

They batted for 83 overs on the first day of the Test match, and before stumps, they claimed only 251 for 4, which forced Ravichandran Ashwin to make a hilarious comment from his official YouTube channel. In a video, Ashwin believes that Ben Stokes and Co. are ahead in this game, accessing the nature of the pitch.

"We can say that England played prankball, and they kept the run rate down. Is this game balanced? England has gone ahead in this game, in my view, with the way they batted. If you look at the pitch, there is a subcontinental tendency. It is quite a contrast on Day 1 at Lord's to what you expect in these conditions. The up-and-down bounce will be a cause of concern. It has happened as a feature all through the day. Even when Joe Root was batting, a ball from Jadeja, which he could have played comfortably off the back foot, spun and beat him. The next ball stayed low. There is a contrasting bounce and variable pace," the former India international said this on his YouTube channel, 'Ash ki Baat.'

Ashwin explained the nature of the wicket

The pitch is not like a regular Lord's wicket. It has some grass on the top, and because of heat, batters can face more trouble during their batting work.

"In India, 29 degrees is not a lot, but in England, humidity is much lower. I was looking at the forecast, and it is reaching 32-33 degrees tomorrow. The pitch can get better if there is moisture in the air. But if the conditions stay as on Day 1, it is rough; the ball will turn more, and a lot of LBWs will start coming into play as the game goes on. So if I were India, I would want this first innings closed as soon as possible," Ashwin believed.