This Indian T20 team is not that good: Michael Vaughan

With Team India’s performance in the ongoing T20I series against England not up to the mark, former cricketer Michael Vaughan has said ‘this Indian T20 team is not that good’. Vaughan’s comments came after England thrashed India by eight wickets in the third T20I to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. The visitors had won the first game by the same margin before India won the second one by seven wickets.

England thoroughly outplayed the Men in Blue in the last T20I to take the lead in the series. Bowling first, the tourists restricted India to a modest total of 156 for 6 in 20 overs. In reply, they chased down the total inside 19 overs by losing just two wickets. Opener Jos Buttler starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 83 to take his team home with ease.

As India struggle to perform consistently in the shortest format of the game, Vaughan has criticised their constant chopping and changing policy. India made one change to their playing XI for the third T20I, bringing in Rohit Sharma for Suryakumar Yadav who did not get a chance to bat on his debut. India also changed the batting order despite the convincing win in the second game.

Michael Vaughan criticizes India’s T20 team

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Michael Vaughan started by criticizing India’s chop and change policy. He compared it with England’s policy during the Test series. The former England captain also said that India needs Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja to their T20I team, saying that the additions of two senior players completely change the way this team operates.

“You’re up against the best team in the world and it very much reminded me of England in the Test series. Chopped and changed everything, and they are not that great a Test match team. This Indian T20 team is not that good,” Michael Vaughan told Cricbuzz.

“It’s as good as it should be so when you get things that work, keep it. Keep it till the next game. I do think Bumrah, Ravi Jadeja… put those two into this team and they just make it so good. You get an extra bowling option and a left-hand batting power with Jadeja and a world-class performer in Jasprit Bumrah,” he added.

Vaughan also expressed his surprise over India’s decision to change the batting order in the third T20I. The Indian team-management had demoted both Ishan Kishan and Virat Kohli despite their impressive fifties in the second game. Kishan batted at number three while Kohli batted at number four in the third T20I.

“India, I didn’t quite understand with the bat in hand how they changed two players who had done so well in the last game. Ishan Kishan, who had opened the batting goes to three and Virat Kohli who played brilliantly at three goes to four. Surely, you keep the substance of what had worked in the previous game, you maneuver a KL Rahul in the middle of the order,” said Michael Vaughan..