Rohit Sharma's captaincy was very, very average, says Michael Vaughan after India's 28-run loss to England
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fter India's 28-run defeat to England in the Test series opener at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, former captain Michael Vaughan said Rohit Sharma's captaincy was very, very average, adding that he hardly had any answers to Ollie Pope's magnificent 196.
Vice-captain Pope played a magnificent innings of 196 runs, helping England set a target of 231 for India in the second Test match. England had conceded a lead of 190 runs in the first innings but managed to make 420 runs in their second innings. Pope's innings was hailed as one of the greatest by any England batter in Tests in India. He used the sweep shot effectively against the Indian spinners, hitting 21 boundaries in his vigil at the crease. He also formed crucial partnerships with Ben Foakes, Rehan Ahmed, and Tom Hartley. India, in their chase of 231, were bowled out for 202, resulting in a 28-run defeat and putting England ahead 1-0 in the five-game series. Rohit Sharma's captaincy for India was criticized for being reactive rather than proactive. He failed to make strategic fielding changes or adjust bowling tactics to counter Pope's sweeps and reverse sweeps. The lack of a clear plan allowed England to gain an advantage. Michael Vaughan, former England captain, expressed his disappointment with Rohit Sharma's captaincy and praised England's captain-coach duo of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for making bold decisions. He specifically mentioned Tom Hartley's selection as a left-arm spinner, which initially surprised him but turned out to be a masterstroke as Hartley took 7-62 in the match. Despite England's victory and taking a 1-0 lead, Vaughan expects a strong fightback from India in the second Test at Visakhapatnam. He believes that India has underachieved considering their talent and resources. However, he still considers India as favorites to win the series due to their ability to react and bounce back from setbacks. Vaughan also mentioned that India may need to reconsider their approach in preparing pitches for the matches. He suggested that flatter wickets might be more beneficial for India rather than pitches with excessive turn, like the one in the first Test. Overall, the first Test between England and India witnessed a stellar performance from Ollie Pope and England's spinners, while highlighting areas of improvement for India in terms of captaincy and pitch preparation.
✔️ Rohit Sharma's captaincy was very, very average, says Michael Vaughan after India's 28-run loss to England
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