Former England captain Michael Vaughan said that England were able to do the damage to Australia with their aggressive approach in the fourth Ashes Test in Manchester as well. However, England were only five wickets away from levelling the five-match Ashes Test series at 2-2, but the weather played the spoilsport on Day 5. And, Vaughan felt that England’s batting dislodged Australia’s thinking in a way that they even forgot the basics as well.
He wrote in his column for The Telegraph: “England completely dismantled Australia to a point where they were unable to deliver the basics. They were psychologically affected by the Bazball juggernaut. Australia forgot that in Test cricket if your best ball gets hit, don’t go away from bowling your best ball.”
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However, he also praised Zak Crawley’s stunning innings. He smashed 189 runs off 182 deliveries and was adjudged Player of the Match as well. Referring to him as a ‘gift’, Vaughan wrote:
“Zak Crawley delivered this week when Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum and Rob Key wanted: that one innings that massively affects a series. He is a gift. I don’t think I have ever seen him bat and think he is out of form. He just gets out. I don’t think his technique or movements are wrong, he just plays iffy shots sometimes. His mindset of being destructive against quality attacks is so impressive. It was him who knocked Australia off their length and took them away from the basics.”
However, Australia have now retained the Ashes and they head into the final Test of the series with a 2-1 lead as well. But England can still level the series and restrict Pat Cummins and Co. to become the first Australian team to win a Test series on English soil since 2001 as well. The fifth Ashes Test will begin on Thursday, July 27, at The Oval in London.
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“England’s attacking instincts led to Australia suffering from amnesia. They stopped bowling the top of off heavy length delivery they have delivered at 85-90mph year after year,” he concluded.
