‘Can’t keep going with Burns-Sibley opening partnership after 10 ducks’: Vaughan suggests major changes in ENG top-order
Former Englanc captain Michael Vaughan has opined that it will be ‘insane’ if England continue with the current opening pair of Rory Burns and Dom Sibley as they have bagged ‘10 ducks’ this year so far in Tests.
Disappointed with the England opening pair’s inconsistency, former England captain Michael Vaughan has suggested a major change in the top order for the upcoming third Test against India at Headingley. Vaughan’s remark comes after the English openers – Rory Burns and Dom Sibley – got out on ducks during the chase of 272 against India, on the final day of the Lord’s Test.
In latest column for the Telegraph, Vaughan wrote that it will be ‘insane’ if England continue with the current pair as they have bagged ‘10 ducks’ this year so far in the longest format of the game. Instead, the team should promote Haseeb Hameed up the order and bring in Dawid Malan at No. 3.
“I want a bit more substance and experience. I want to see Dawid Malan at three. England cannot keep going with the Rory Burns-Dom Sibley opening partnership after 10 ducks this year. It is the definition of insanity. It just does not work,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.
“In total, 37 per cent of their partnerships this year have not gone past the second over. That is staggering. You can’t carry on with that and England know it. I would give Hameed his rightful spot to open and throw in Malan. England now need a little bit of substance. They have three games against India then straight into an Ashes series,” he added.
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The former England captain further suggested that England need someone of all-rounder Ben Stokes’ calibre who can win games for the hosts against a strong Indian side.
"It is going to be so hard to recover without Stokes. They had one of the greats to get them out of a hole in the last Ashes Test at Headingley. They were bowled out for 67 but Stokes played the greatest innings of all time. Now there are signs this series could get very messy for England," Vaughan continued,” Vaughan further wrote.
“They have to find some spirit and belief. They have to hope someone turns up and does something like Stokes did two years ago. It will probably have to be Joe again. But how much has this defeat sapped his energy?” he added.