England left out Stuart Broad and picked Jofra Archer, Mak Wood together for the first Test.
Under the interim captaincy of Ben Stokes, the hosts left out veteran pacer Stuart Broad, country's second-highest Test wicket-taker, and Chris Woakes, preferring to go in with a pace attack featuring James Anderson and Wood, Archer together, alongside off-spinner Dom Bess.
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However, they were out-bowled by the tourists, who, even though not as quick, showed good consistency, patience and skill across two innings in their team's four-wicket win.
"I’ve said from the start - rotate Archer and Wood," Gough, who picked 229 wickets in 58 Tests, told Sky Sports Cricket. "We got a bit carried away, seeing Wood bowl really quickly in South Africa. We’ve seen Archer do it, but it’s very hard to do it every single game."
Gough said he would bring back both Broad and Woakes in the line-up at the Old Trafford for the next Test, starting this Thursday (July 16) and rest Wood and Anderson.
"I would rest Wood and Anderson at Old Trafford and bring in Broad and Woakes."
"That would be my plan then, with back-to-back Test matches, you bring Anderson and Wood back (for the third test)."
It's not that Gough has changed his view in hindsight, the 49-year-old had voiced against the call to drop Broad right at the moment it was taken by the team management, adding the experienced pair of Broad and Anderson shouldn't have been tinkered with.
"(I'm) really surprised (by Broad's omission)," he had said on Sky Sports. "Because when you talk about sticking with players, I thought with the Broad situation, he has stood up and been counted for England over the past few years, when Jimmy has been limping out of games with an injury."
"I would've played both Broad and Anderson in this game - I think they deserve that respect - and then I would've gone for one of Wood or Archer," Gough added.