Michael Vaughan has never been one to shy away from blunt analysis. After India’s 22-run defeat in the Lord’s Test, the former England skipper pointed his finger at one persistent problem plaguing Shubman Gill’s men — the knack of losing wickets in clusters, particularly before lunch.
Speaking on Cricbuzz, Michael Vaughan wryly remarked, “Gill will be slightly concerned. You go to Leeds, there’s a collapse. Day 4 at Lord’s, another cluster of wickets. And again this morning, three gone quickly. Seems like they enjoy the food here — maybe they’re thinking too much about lunch when they’re out there.”
The humour, however, underscored a more profound concern. Vaughan believes India’s recurring tendency to throw away wickets just before a break stems from lapses in concentration. It’s a pattern that began on Day 1 of the series at Headingley when KL Rahul and Sai Sudharsan fell right before lunch — and it hasn’t stopped since.
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“But that’s just concentration,” Michael Vaughan noted. “The more you overthink batting differently at the end of a session, the more likely you’re going to get out. That’s been a problem for India throughout this series.”
Indeed, Vaughan highlighted how the late collapse on Day 4 at Lord’s — when Karun Nair, Shubman Gill, and nightwatchman Akash Deep fell in quick succession — proved to be the turning point. “That’s where the Test was lost. India should’ve chased 193. Yes, there was something in the pitch, but with the batting they had on paper, they should’ve crossed the line,” he said.
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Even after losing Yashasvi Jaiswal for a duck in the chase, India looked steady at 41/1. But the recurring theme of collapses resurfaced. While Ravindra Jadeja fought valiantly with an unbeaten 61 and the tail tried to resist, England’s persistence, led by Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, proved decisive. Now trailing 2-1 in the series, India will need to regroup — and above all, rediscover the art of batting through sessions without imploding.
