Former England captain Michael Vaughan doesn’t rate the current T20 team too highly.
India is currently trailing by 2-1 against England in the ongoing five-match T20I series, which is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Vaughan feels that the hosts are changing and chopping too much, which is not helping them.
Rohit Sharma returned back to the final XI after he was rested for the first two matches and thus Ishan Kishan, who had made a dream start to his international career with a blistering knock of 56, was made to bat at one down. Consequently, India’s in-form captain Virat Kohli, who had scored a match-winning 73 in the second T20I, had to bat at number four in the third T20I.
Vaughan feels out-of-form KL Rahul should have batted in the middle order and the hosts could have opened the innings with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan. However, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had mentioned before the series that KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma will be the first-choice openers of the team.
Michael Vaughan said while talking to Cricbuzz, “You’re up against the best team in the world, and it very much reminded me of England in the Test series. Chopped and changed everything, and they are not that great a Test match team. This Indian T20 team is not that good.”
“India, I didn’t quite understand with the bat in hand how they changed two players who had done so well in the last game. Ishan Kishan, who had opened the batting goes to three and Virat Kohli who played brilliantly at three goes to four. Surely, you keep the substance of what had worked in the previous game, you maneuver a KL Rahul in the middle of the order.”
Vaughan believes the addition of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will make this team a potent one. Jadeja has been ruled out of the ongoing series due to a thumb injury whereas Bumrah was given a break for his wedding.
“It’s as good as it should be so when you get things that work, keep it. Keep it till the next game. I do think Bumrah, Ravi Jadeja… put those two into this team, and they just make it so good. You get an extra bowling option and a left-hand batting power with Jadeja and a world-class performer in Jasprit Bumrah.”
India will aim to bounce back in the series and the remaining two matches will be must-win encounters for the hosts. The fourth T20I will take place at Ahmedabad on Thursday.
