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Former captain Michael Vaughan expressed strong criticism of Rohit Sharma’s captaincy after India’s 28-run defeat to England in the Test series opener. Vaughan labeled Sharma’s captaincy as “very, very average,” stating that he lacked effective responses to Ollie Pope’s stellar innings of 196.
Pope’s remarkable knock of 196 in England’s second innings played a crucial role in setting a target of 231 for India. Vaughan pointed out that Sharma’s captaincy appeared reactive rather than proactive, allowing England to build crucial partnerships and control the game.
Michael Vaughan highlighted the effectiveness of England’s Bazball tactics, emphasizing that teams often struggle initially when confronted with this style of play. He criticized Sharma for not making strategic field changes or employing alternative bowling plans to counter Pope’s aggressive sweeps and reverse sweeps.
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In particular, Vaughan noted the absence of tactics like those employed by legendary spinner Shane Warne, who would challenge the batsmen with a change of angle. Vaughan deemed Sharma’s approach as making it “all too easy” for England.
Despite the criticism, Vaughan acknowledged the success of England’s debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who took 7-62 in the second innings. He praised the captain-coach duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for their out-of-the-box selection and successful strategies.
While acknowledging India’s underachievement in recent times, Vaughan expects a strong response from the team in the second Test at Visakhapatnam, starting on February 2. He sees India as the favorite to win the series, highlighting their ability to bounce back, as demonstrated in previous series.
–IANS
