Former England captain Michael Vaughan slammed Ben Stokes’ men as they find themselves wound to a corner in the Edgbaston Test against India with their ‘win-only’ mindset and Bazball principles facing its ultimate challenge on Sunday.
With only seven wickets in hand and a colossal 536 of the 608-run target remaining to be chased, all eyes will be focussed on the English side. Will they finally shed their ego of drawing a Test match and grind to block out the day? But Vaughan raises a more pertinent question. Even if they choose to go on with a blockathon after having lost batting great Joe Root among three wickets overnight, do the Englishmen have the resolve and character to see off an entire day against Shubman Gill’s India?
Speaking on the Test Match Special, Vaughan slammed England’s approach, which prevented them from seeing the value of a drawn game under such circumstances. In the 34 previous Tests under Stokes, England have only once drawn a Test, in rain-affected circumstances, winning 21 and losing 12.
“Bazball’s going to get asked the ultimate question tomorrow,” former England captain Michael Vaughan told BBC Test Match Special.
“Are the team and the players going to go completely against what their natural instincts are to do?
“You’ve got to get what’s best on offer. And what’s best on offer at the minute is a draw.”
‘Impossible to have a mindset’
“If you want to win the big series against the likes of India at home in five matches and you want to go to Australia, I think it’s impossible to have a mindset that we just win, that’s all we go for. We don’t play for draws. A draw for England from this position, and I hope they get more in a way of kind of success, if they can get away from here with a draw, it’s almost better than last week’s win because it’s completely against their natural trade,” Vaughan said.
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Vaughan also lamented England’s obsession with trying to chase down totals after winning the toss despite favourable batting conditions. After India racked up 587 in the first-innings on the back of India captain Shubman Gill’s 269, England were rolled over for 407 despite their quick scoring rates.
“They’ve won the toss and decided to bowl once again and it was eventually going to backfire in these English conditions in the UK with the ball and the pitches. And I am intrigued to see how this team talk about what they are going to do in the dressing room and come out and do it tomorrow. Because the pitch is still good and if England can have that instinct inside to play hard then they can bat the full day tomorrow. They really can.”
