Ashes 2019 | Michael Vaughan raises concern over England's batting technique

Ashes 2019 | Michael Vaughan raises concern over England's batting technique

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Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan has raised questions regarding the technical skills of batsmen after the hosts were bowled out for 258 in the first innings of the Lords's Test match. Opener Rory Burns and Jonny Bairstow top-scored with half-centuries, while the other players failed to sustain.

The left-handed English opener Burns looked in good tune before being dismissed by an exceptional catch by Cameron Bancroft at forward short-leg. Following his wicket, at 116/4, England took long to build another good partnership until Bairstow and Woakes added 72 runs for the 7th-wicket stand. 

"The technical side is a worry," Vaughan told BBC's Test Match Special. "Many will be talking about batting orders but the basics are do you know where your off stump is and can you play a forward defence?"

England were bowled out for 146 in the second innings of the first Test at Edgbaston and eventually lost the game that they had started off well. This was one of the 10 instances where the English side were bowled out for a total of less than 200 in the last 35 innings. Three weeks ago, Engalnd were bolwed out for 85 against Ireland at the Lord's. Vaughan believes that these instances are alarming as it directly depicts the quality and technique of England's batting.

"Too many times with England we talk about batting line-ups and personnel changes," said Vaughan. "Too many of them you look at and ask 'have you got the basics required for Test match cricket, leaving good balls on or around off stump, playing with balance on the front foot, letting the ball come and playing the ball under your eyeline in English conditions?

"I sit there and watch without any kind of confidence. You want to peep around the curtain to see if they are still out there and that's a concern because they are up against a quality bowling line-up that will continue to put them under a lot of pressure," he added.

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