Michael Vaughan slams Virat Kohli for poor captaincy

England had taken full control of the third Test with just three sessions into the match. At the end of Day 1, the hosts were leading by 42, having bowled out India for 78 and their opening batters adding an unbeaten 120 run stand. India needed something extraordinary to come back into the match and picking up early wickets was one way. However, on Day 2, India started with Ishant Sharma, who was their worst performer on Day 1. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has questioned Virat Kohli’s tactics of giving the ball to Ishant.

“You are looking at the start of the day’s play. Ishant Sharma was by far the worst Indian seamer yesterday. You start with him the next day, in an hour that you have to win, you (should) surely go to your best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Shami didn’t take the new ball yesterday for whatever reason. And Virat will have to answer it and he will have to answer it quite heavily,” Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special podcast.

“You are looking at the start of the day’s play. Ishant Sharma was by far the worst Indian seamer yesterday. You start with him the next day, in an hour that you have to win, you (should) surely go to your best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah. Shami didn’t take the new ball yesterday for whatever reason. And Virat will have to answer it and he will have to answer it quite heavily,” Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special podcast.

Michael Vaughan also slammed team India for their poor show in Headingley, saying they have looked a shadow of the team that played in Lords. “I think they should be careful that they don’t do things for show. For me, I saw at Lord’s, I thought it was brilliant that all their team came into the Long Room to greet that partnership (between Bumrah and Shami). I like that, in a team, I want to see that. But you can’t do things like that and arrive the week after and put in a performance like this. That doesn’t happen in real high-class cricket. That looks to me now like all histrionics and antiques, it just looks like it was for show. A team that is really together and fight in with that crunch of the situation, they don’t play like what we have seen India play in the last two days,” Michael Vaughan stated.

Meanwhile, England have strengthened their grip on the match. Having taken a lead of 354 runs, the hosts have removed KL Rahul with just 46 on the board. The visitors will need to script history if they are to escape defeat in the match.