Michael Vaughan believes that England would have won the fifth Test against India at The Oval had Ben Stokes played the match. Stokes missed the Test because of a shoulder injury and Vaughan felt that his presence, both as a cricketer and a leader, could have made the difference on the final morning when England lost by six runs to India.
England began Day 5 at 339/6, needing just 35 more runs to win the match and the series. However, they crumbled under pressure as Mohammed Siraj removed Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton in quick succession. Josh Tongue was cleaned up by Prasidh Krishna, leaving England nine down.
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"They Panicked" - Michael Vaughan Says England Missed Ben Stokes in IND vs ENG 5th Test
Reacting to England’s collapse on Day 5, Vaughan suggested that the team panicked during a tense chase and lacked the calm head that Ben Stokes usually brings.
"This morning, Ben Stokes in that team, England would’ve won this Test match. He plays such a big role in this team, the mentality. You go through this morning and England did panic. They just needed one partnership. They panicked in the way that they can with the way that they play, they play with a huge amount of aggressiveness. Yesterday afternoon, the Harry Brook dismissal did cause that collapse, but it’s the way England play," Vaughan said as quoted on BBC’s Test Match Special.
Vaughan also pointed out that despite the loss, England had a lot of positives to take from the series. He said the five Tests against India gave the team a clearer picture of where they stand ahead of their tour to Australia later this year.
"It’s been a tremendous five matches for England. You’ve got to be realistic, this week they were down to 10 men, lost one of their bowlers early, and not got Ben Stokes. You’re looking at the team going to Australia and I think there’s more pieces in place. We’ll arrive in Perth for that first Test and know the top seven. It’s just a matter of the bowling attack and getting that right. Clearly Ben Stokes is going to have to get fit. With Ben Stokes in the England side they can beat anybody. Without him, they can lose to anybody," Vaughan added.
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Harry Brook Must Learn to Dig In, Says Michael Vaughan
The turning point of the match came on Day 4, when Harry Brook, after scoring 111 runs off 98 balls, was dismissed by Akash Deep. England were 301/3 at one stage and his wicket led to a collapse. Ultimately, England got bowled out at 367 and lost by six runs.
"(Harry) Brook had that thought process that he wanted to hit 30 or 40 quick runs. What Harry needs to learn is in an Ashes series, in a similar situation, just win. I love the way he plays, his approach. At times, he’s a genius. He plays the game in a fashion not many have ever played. I don’t want to take away from his positivity and flamboyance. But in Sydney, if England are 2-1 up, dig in Harry," Vaughan noted.
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