Michael Vaughan slammed England team and stand-in captain Ollie Pope after the hosts lost the third and final Test to Sri Lanka at the Oval in devastating style. Sri Lanka achieved a brilliant 8-wicket win, chasing 219 runs on day four with Pathum Nissanka starring with an unbeaten hundred.
According to Michael Vaughan, England became complacent and overconfident following five consecutive Test wins in the summer, three of which came against the West Indies. The England cricket team began the summer with a three-match Test series sweep of the West Indies.
They maintained their supremacy in the Test series against Sri Lanka, winning the first two games. Ollie Pope captained England in place of injured Ben Stokes and led them well, despite scoring only one century in the series.
Vaughan pointed out that England, In the third Test against Sri Lanka, were overly aggressive in both their batting and field placements, which they described as disrespectful to Test cricket and Sri Lanka. Vaughan cautioned that this strategy will not work against powerful opponents such as India or Australia in the future.
“I felt that they disrespected Test cricket, and disrespected Sri Lanka in the third Test by being over-aggressive with both the bat and in their field placings. England have made a habit of becoming a bit complacent after a good period – I think of the start of the Ashes, or earlier this year in Rajkot – and I hope it serves as a wake-up call for the tougher Tests that lie in wait in 2025. There is no way they will get away with playing like this against India or Australia,” Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for the Telegraph.
England should be desperate for a win every week: Michael Vaughan
England must play three Tests against Pakistan and as many against New Zealand away; nevertheless, the five-match assignments against India at home and Australia away would push and test Brendon McCullum’s team to its limits.
“The intensity and concentration in the big moments were missing this week. It was all a bit flimsy, cocky even. They took the mickey out of the game. The answer in Test cricket’s hottest moments cannot always be attack, attack, attack,” Michael Vaughan further said.
Michael Vaughan recommended England to continue their passion of winning Test matches. The former England cricketer stated that Test players should be desperate for continuous success.
“I would really encourage England never to lose the love of winning. Sitting in the dressing room after a Test win, whether it is in the Ashes away or against an average West Indies side or Sri Lanka, who are not as strong as they once were, in your own backyard, that is a very special feeling. You should be desperate for it every week as a Test cricketer,” Vaughan added.
England will next play a three-match Test series against Pakistan away in October.
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