Former England captain-turned-cricket pundit Michael Vaughan slammed England for their questionable approach during the recently-concluded tour of India.
England won the first Test in Hyderabad by 28 runs to stun the hosts. However, it all fell apart in the next four Tests.
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Ben Stokes and Co. lost the second Test by 106 runs in Vizag, followed by a harrowing 434-run defeat in Rajkot. They had a sniff at victory in Ranchi, but ultimately lost by five wickets. Their tour went from bad to worse with a mauling in Dharamsala, as India won by an innings and 64 runs.
The 4-1 series win has propelled India at the top of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table, as well as the top ranking in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings. India are now the No. 1 side in all three formats.
MORE: McCullum admits England's belief 'took a hit' in India
'Players need challenging and questioning' - Michael Vaughan on England's attitude
Vaughan expressed his opinions on the outcome of England's tour of India in his column for The Daily Telegraph, claiming that the English players blew away the chance to win the series.
After a humbling series defeat in India, I strongly believe that a dose of honesty is the most important thing for this England team right now. I don't believe they need to rip everything up. They are better playing this way than they would be otherwise. I respect what they are trying to do, and get up early every day to watch them because they have me on the edge of my seat and I know something is going to happen. The great frustration is that they have the talent to be really competitive all over the world but they have blown two big series and in this case it was because their batting failed miserably.
I am not one for old-school preparation, with three first-class matches at the start of a tour. Those days are gone, and it's not needed. But surely with two long breaks, you need to get some cricket into the outside of the team, so they are ready if required, and to keep those in the XI on their toes. It also might help players in the team find form. By doing nothing, you get yourself into a Catch 22. I do worry it's a backroom team made up of cheerleaders. That's based on what I hear in public, and maybe it's different in the changing room, but players need challenging and questioning at times.
What next for England in Tests?
England are set for a busy summer at home. In July, they will welcome West Indies for three Tests, followed by three more Tests against Sri Lanka in August.
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