India, June 19 -- Former England captain Michael Vaughan revealed on Thursday that he was "staggered" by Ben Stokes' preparation for the crucial home Test series against India. The series will begin on June 20 with the opener in Leeds before the proceedings head to the Ashes in the winter.

Stokes will be a vital player for England through the seven weeks of action at home against a new-look Indian side, which will not have the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom retired in the wake of the series defeat in Australia. However, the all-rounder has barely had enough game time at the crease, which comes after a dip in form in the previous season, leaving Vaughan worried.

Speaking to Daily Mail, the veteran...