Mumbai, Mar 4: With England losing the ongoing Test series to India, former captain Michael Vaughan believes the Ben Stokes-led side haven’t been able to win their last three series in the format due to the failure of their batting department. With India taking an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series via a five-wicket win in Ranchi, it marked England’s first series loss under the captain-coach duo of Stokes and Brendon McCullum.Before the tour to India, England had drawn 2-2 with Australia at home and 1-1 with New Zealand in their backyard. “It’s a huge week for several of England’s batsmen. When we think of this England team, we think of their wonderfully dynamic batting. But when you look at why they haven’t won any of their last three series, it’s down to the batting.”
“There never seems to be much scrutiny or noise around England’s batsmen. Even last week I chuckled. They lost in Ranchi in large part because they didn’t bat well enough, but there was lots of finger-pointing at Ollie Robinson, a bowler who scored an important half-century!”
“He looked well short of a gallop with the ball and dropped a catch, but I thought it was ironic ‘batsmen v bowlers’ stuff,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph.
He also foresees England’s batting order may see a change after the Dharamshala Test is played from March 7-11. “The whole batting lineup has known week in, week out on this tour that it will be playing the next game. That is about to change because after this tour Harry Brook will be back.”
“He has to bat at No. 5 because he should be the bedrock of their batting with Joe Root. Does that mean England’s statement moment is coming? Consistency of selection is such a fine balance in team sports.”
“Making people comfortable is right, and England have generally batted well over the last two years. There comes a point, though, where when it’s your batting that is costing you the biggest series you can’t keep sending the same guys out there every week.”
Vaughan then touched upon the cases of wicketkeeper-batters Jonny Bairstow, set to play his 100th Test match, and Ben Foakes, who has been a part of some gritty partnerships in the series, but both of them have failed to get a big individual total in India.