India vs Australia | Can’t see Australia beating England this summer, says Michael Vaughan

01/08/2019

Michael Vaughan claims the return of Steven Smith and David Warner will not guarantee a change of fortune for the Australian cricket team in the coming months. Vaughan reckons that the Aussie bowling attack is not as good as they think and will need to improve in order to beat England this summer.

The Australian cricket team succumbed to their first series defeat against India on home soil on the weekend after they were beaten by a margin of 2-1 in the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Despite the disappointing outcome, many critics believe that the return of famed Australian duo, Steven Smith and David Warner, will bring about an immediate change in the manner of which the team is currently playing. However, former England captain Michael Vaughan disagrees.

Vaughan believes that if the Australian selection committee are banking on the likes of Smith and Warner to solve everything that is wrong within the team at the moment, they’re in for a rather unpleasant surprise.

“I cannot see Australia beating England this summer unless they assess themselves brutally. Batting techniques have to be better and they need to be more consistent with the ball. “Every facet of their Test team has to improve. They are kidding themselves if they think everything will be rosy when Smith and Warner come back.

“On flat, good batting pitches, Australia really struggled as it is on those tracks that weaknesses are highlighted. A batting unit’s defences are tested because it is necessary to bat for long periods. Australia are unable to play long innings. They look like a team who can score 250-300, and that is good enough on sporting pitches, but not when it is flat,” Vaughan wrote in his column for London’s Telegraph newspaper.

Australia’s trio of pace bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were at the receiving end of various plaudits during the recently concluded series. However, they were also criticised by Vaughan, who said they did not offer enough variety or consistency to exploit pitch conditions in England.

“The bowling is not as good as they think. To beat England in England, they have to bowl more intelligently.

“It is not often that quick bowlers come to England and blast batsmen out. It may happen in one Test but not over the course of a five-match series. You need consistent line and length, and skilful manipulation of the conditions. At the moment, I do not see Australia having those attributes,” Vaughan concluded.

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