Former England captain Michael Vaughan has questioned Ben Stokes’ team tactics to go for the win despite a huge score on the board. India have set a huge target of 608 runs in the second Test match at Edgbaston, Birmingham after another fine batting display, and England were left reeling at 72-3 at stumps on day four.
Zak Crawley was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj when the England opener was trying to play a drive away from his body. Ben Duckett played back on to his stumps against Akash Deep. England’s veteran batter Joe Root was castled by a peach of a delivery from Deep, who used the bowling crease with guile.
Vaughan advised Indian captain Shubman Gill to have fielders in an attacking position as they have got a truckload of runs in the bank.
“They have got so many runs in the bank that they can attack with catchers all day, they’ll be able to put all the catchers around the bat. What I don’t want to see tomorrow is fielders on the boundary all the time. England can’t win the game, and this is the first time in the Bazball era that they have arrived on Day 5, and cannot win the game,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
The former English skipper urged the home team’s batters to show stomach for a fight with the bat on the final day.
“Have they got the mindset? They will think it is boring, because they do not like the word draw. But have they got the discipline, the determination, to bat the whole day out, and try and get a draw. If England get on their bus down to Lord’s having drawn this Test match, it is robbery. If England can scrap and fight for a draw, I just wonder how would that dressing room feel,” he continued.
Vaughan wants the hosts’ batters to take a leaf out of Shubman Gill, who scored a fine knock of 161 runs in the second dig after scoring a mammoth knock of 269.
“England need to take a leaf out of that book of Shubman Gill. The leaf of making sure that you nullify the best balls with defence. I’ve got to have a look at a DVD of Shubman as to how the hell is he doing it so easily. He just looks like he is in a real good space in his mind,” Vaughan said.
England batters will have their work cut out on the final day but it is raining at Edgbaston before the start of play.
