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Michael Vaughan: England will lose 5-0 in India if they do not improve with bat

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments144

Ben Duckett is bowled for 14 in the first innings
Ben Duckett made only 29 runs in his debut Test

England will be "blown away" in next month's Test series in India if they do not improve with the bat, says former captain Michael Vaughan.

England claimed a tense 22-run victory on the final morning of the first Test in Bangladesh on Monday.

They meet India, the world's top-ranked side,external-link in a five-Test series starting on 9 November.

"If they perform like they did against Bangladesh, it'll be 5-0," Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 live.

Two wickets in three balls from Ben Stokes on the fifth morning in Chittagong denied Bangladesh what would have been only their eighth win in 94 Tests - and their first against England.

England made 293 and 240 against a Bangladesh team ranked ninth in the world, collapsing to 21-3 in the first innings and 28-3 in the second.

Off-spinner Mehedi Hasan took seven wickets on his Bangladesh debut as 19 of England's 20 wickets in the match fell to spin.

The India side is set to feature off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, the world's number one Test bowler, and slow left-armer Ravindra Jadeja, who is ranked seventh.

Vaughan, who captained England in 51 of his 82 Tests between 1999 and 2008, said of England's top-order problems: "It doesn't matter who goes first.

"England for such a long time are always 30 or 40 for three. If they're 30 or 40 for three against India they'll get blown away.

"Yes, you celebrate a win, but hopefully England, in the background, are being honest with themselves that they can play better."

Bayliss recognises need for improvement

Trevor Bayliss
Bayliss took charge of England in May 2015

Speaking after Monday's victory, England coach Trevor Bayliss accepted his side had work to do from both a batting and bowling perspective.

"Our spin bowlers need to be a bit more consistent in length," the 53-year-old Australian said. "It's difficult bowling spin to players who are used to playing spin."

However, Bayliss said he did not see the narrow nature of victory in Chittagong as a reason to adjust England's top order.

"It would be difficult to make a change after one Test, considering we won it as well. It certainly wasn't easy but our batters will be better for it."

The second and final Test against Bangladesh starts on Friday in Dhaka.

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144 comments

  • Comment posted by myview, at 09:24 25 Oct 2016

    Anyone would think England lost yesterday!
    Is it really so hard to congratulate Bangladesh for making great progress and giving England a good fight? (and a scare!)
    No. we're English, we MUST look on the down side.

  • Comment posted by Lies and Statistics, at 09:12 25 Oct 2016

    Winning a test series away to one of the top nations is one of the hardest things to do in international sport. Just getting some proper match practice in Bangladesh will increase our chances dramatically as the hectic schedule of tours now means the visiting team only ever get one warm up before plunging into a series against a team playing on pitches prepared to suit them

  • Comment posted by User0231937954, at 10:52 25 Oct 2016

    Vaughan, not Vaughn
    Cook, not Cooke
    Ballance, not Balance
    Buttler, not Butler
    Swann, not Swanne

    Come on folks, at least get their names right

    You're lucky Srinivasaraghavan Venkataraghavan won't be umpiring

  • Comment posted by User0695778606, at 09:48 25 Oct 2016

    #2 - I pay to watch cricketers, not cardboard cut out 'personalities'. Pietersen was a fine cricketer but he plays very little these days and will never play for England again. Time to move on.

  • Comment posted by Welsh_Dude, at 09:18 25 Oct 2016

    I think Ballance has had a long enough run in the side. He needs dropping. Butler showed good technique in the one dayers, I'd give him a go, push moeen up to 3, Root 4, Bairstow 5, Butler 6

  • Comment posted by User0088678391, at 10:09 25 Oct 2016

    TMS really has gone down hill with Vaughan & Swanne. The old fashioned style of just commentating on what is in front of view from Johnson, Aggers & Blowers seems to be going. Opinionated Vaughan has to introduce drama just to get himself noticed. This would be the 5-0 Glenn McGrath style of comment.

  • Comment posted by jb194, at 09:47 25 Oct 2016

    Vaughan's always mouthing off and often proved wrong, at which point you don't hear from him - Cook not enforcing the follow-on in the summer for example. We used to write off Sri Lanka with an arrogant contempt in the same way that some people here are dismissing Bangladesh as unworthy of being taken seriously and they haven't ended up doing too badly. Never underestimate an opponent...

  • Comment posted by Stop collaborate and listen, at 09:52 25 Oct 2016

    I very much doubt "England will be blown away in India" they are far too good for that. That's just Vaughan doing what journalists do.

  • Comment posted by User0530501166, at 11:56 25 Oct 2016

    Elements of this story is true but Michael Vaughan loves to over dramatise the situation.
    Correct me if I am wrong but England beat India in the last series in India, so they know how to win in the conditions.
    They also came off the back from a decent win in Bangladesh with another game to come, surely after only one game they are bound to improve?

  • Comment posted by maljudy, at 10:36 25 Oct 2016

    Just read comment that cook has to go as he cant handle his spinners
    and always turns to the fast bowlers.
    how come Stokes in the 1st innings got so many wickets
    and Broad on the evening of the 4th day was brilliant and who got the final wickets?

    what awful captancy

  • Comment posted by paddy, at 15:08 25 Oct 2016

    Will people please desist from comparing one-day form with likely Test form? The ball is different and performs differently. Pitches are prepared differently (or should be). Test cricket is more demanding, physically and mentally. May be too much one-day cricket is the reason that we do not produce many batsmen who can really build a Test innings on a wearing pitch or spinners who can exploit it.

  • Comment posted by NickD, at 10:23 25 Oct 2016

    The last match was entertaining....that's what the sport needs...not boring as F1 has become. Let's have close matches with lesser teams and really tough,tense games with the likes of India. Yes it would be preferable for England to win in India but let's have some fun. That's what sport is about; entertaining,tense,and above all fun! Here's to a great series whatever happens.

  • Comment posted by Piranha Custard, at 12:33 25 Oct 2016

    Ballance has to go now, never mind after one more Test. He has looked totally incompetent at international level for far too long. Worse than this he blocks a space for a youngster to come through and get valuable experience. Getting rid of him for good opens the way for both Duckett and Haseem to get a shot that their talent warrants.

  • Comment posted by CarlosReel, at 11:04 25 Oct 2016

    I definitely preferred Vaughan when he was a player. He has said and predicted things before and has been proven wrong so many times. He needs to realise it's not the same Bangladesh side he played against over a decade ago.

    England just need to select the correct players and they will be fine. I think Ansari as an extra spinner should definitely be on the cards. Just my 2 cents.

  • Comment posted by RLA, at 10:11 25 Oct 2016

    England need a good / reliable and long term opening partner for Cook and have for some time. For me that is Hameed. That is the key to a decent total. Then Ballance needs to go with Duckett replacing him at 4 from this current squad. Yes two new players but surrounded by experience with Root/Cook. For me it is Bairstow or Buttler, not both and that has to be Bairstow.

  • Comment posted by D1679186175166, at 11:33 25 Oct 2016

    Vaughan is one of the tabloid pundits that infest the game. He still owes Trott an apology for his toxic comments. Some ex players are worth hearing; eg Atherton. Vaughan's part of the campaign of dumbing down and political correctness. I recently heard Ebony RB say that Cook had never timed a ball in his life. Funny how a modest career and BBC contract entitles you to spout rubbish like that

  • Comment posted by Ayupgeeza, at 13:01 25 Oct 2016

    I can see that there's a debate to be had about a number of positions in the England team - but one question from me: does anyone, ANYONE, actually think Ballance should be in the team?

    Anyone?

    (Apart from the selectors, obviously, who will pick him anyway...)

  • Comment posted by User0231937954, at 10:28 25 Oct 2016

    Michael Vaughan seems to be the perennial doom-monger.

    Of course playing India in their conditions is very tough, but we won there last time AND beat SA on their own patch last winter.

    If you'll excuse me, I'm still basking in the glow of the joyful first Test.

  • Comment posted by MNunny91, at 12:34 25 Oct 2016

    Ansari should play the next test, we need a bit of variety in the attack with a left armer. Ballance has had more than enough chances now and has done nothing to suggest his technical flaws have been sorted. I'd move Duckett down the order, doesn't look like a natural opener, and give the young lad Hameed a go. I'd rather get off to a slow start and be 50-0 rather than the 50-3 we see so often.

  • Comment posted by latenitepoker, at 15:49 25 Oct 2016

    I'm sure Vaughan would have had something to say about negative comments from pundits when he was England captain.
    Shut up, Michael, unless you've got something positive to say. Any fool can criticise and point out problems, it takes some savvy to be constructive.