[WATCH] Michael Vaughan suggests where Ben Stokes should bat during ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

Even though Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, had a fabulous week with both bat and ball besides showing his magic in the field during the 22-run victory in the third Test at Lord’s to go 2-1 up in the five-match series, questions and concerns are still fresh on the veteran’s batting position, especially when they will be making a trip in winter for the Ashes 2025/26. 

Since the start of 2024, Stokes has an average of under 28 for England in the longest format, which is the lowest among their top seven batters. He has been dismissed to the spinners 17 times in this passage at an average of under 20, while against the pacers, the average is nearly 45 with just 10 dismissals. The former captain, Michael Vaughan, dissected the same issue.

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‘I like his batting against the seamers. He lines up pretty well against Bumrah, and his technique is good. But against spin, there are issues. He likes to stay back, and even when the ball doesn’t spin, he gets trapped on the back foot. The spinners know that they can bring him forward and fire one on the back.’ Vaughan expressed during a discussion on Cricbuzz.

Watch: Michael Vaughan suggests Ben Stokes’ batting position for ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

'I think Australia will do that whenever Stokes comes in at number six, they will bring Nathan Lyon. I thought, last year, there could have been a chance of him batting at number three because he plays pace well. It will also be helpful for Ollie Pope at number six. The question is whether you need the same number three in both innings, and, if Stokes bowls a lot, then he can go down.’ Vaughan extended during the interaction.   

The former captain highlighted the best probable combination to help the side with more exposure in the batting department. He also shed light on how this team would need to improve when batting first in games. The veteran also wondered if the management could be flexible, just like the white-ball games.

In the longest format, the southpaw has batted only twice at number three and smashed 61runs at a strike rate of 64.89, thanks to the best score of 42 runs. But most of these occasions were when they would be chasing a huge score. Pope hasn’t done well at Lord’s and Edgbaston, and with the Ashes awaiting, Stokes at number three could be an option.