Former England captain Michael Vaughan has ripped apart Ben Stokes and Co for not acknowledging that there is a problem and for being adamant about their approach and mindset in Test cricket after an embarrassing loss to India in the third match in Rajkot on Sunday, February 18. Vaughan also said that their mindset of playing for a result, whether win or lose, as part of their approach to entertain people, is disregarding the value of a draw, especially in a long series like this.
"Listen to them, and you would think nothing is ever wrong. Jimmy Anderson said they would chase 600 in Vizag. Ben Duckett said “the more the better” in terms of their target this week, but they fell 434 short. Duckett also reckons they deserve credit for the way Yashasvi Jaiswal is batting, as if no player in history has ever played an attacking shot," Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph. "They talk about not playing for the draw, but to me that’s disrespectful to Test cricket. The draw is a crucial part of the game, and in five-Test contest has often provided the bedrock of some great series victories."
The former English captain took a further dig at the visitors saying that Joe Root's dismissal in the first innings in Rajkot while reverse-scooping Jasprit Bumrah, was a reminder of that this England team is in its own bubble and wants to be content with what they do and think but warned them that there is more to Test cricket than just that.
Vaughan referred to India's second innings to drive his point home. Vaughan gave the example of how Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill built their innings. Both Jaiswal and Gill took a few balls initially to get into their respective innings, before going all out. Jaiswal, in particular. Vaughan said that it shouldn't be always about batting positively at every given point and that the batters should bat according to the situation.
"England make out that everything is positive but they need to be having conversations about how to bat better. This was the worst defeat under Stokes and Brendon McCullum and one that exposed their method. They cannot take the aggressive at every opportunity, they have to pick their moments," Vaughan further added.
Ben Stokes was hopeful that there is still a chance for England to win the series but they will have to come up with an inspired performance in the fourth Test in Ranchi to make it level, which looks difficult at the moment.
