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'Didn't see the spring, the energy': Michael Vaughan criticises India's body language in first Test against England
Michael Vaughan said India’s body language in the first Test against England in Chennai did not show that they are the best team in the world.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels India lacked the energy and the spring that should be there in the mindset of the best team of the world during first two days of the series opener against England in Chennai.
Vaughan said India’s body language did not show that they are the best team in the world.
“Didn’t see the spring, didn’t see the energy and the mindset of a team which will basically say to England that we’re the best in the world, we’ve just beaten Australia by our second-string side by the end of the series. We are best in the world and we are going to dominate you guys in our backyard but I didn’t see that from India today. This is something that Virat and Ravi Shastri will address going ahead,” Vaughan told Cricbuzz.
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England captain Joe Root became the first batsman to smash a double-hundred in his 100th test, crafting a massive 218 runs to put his team in charge.
The 30-year-old registered his second double-century in three matches as England amassed 555-8 on a flat wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
At the end of Day Two, Dom Bess was batting on 28 with Jack Leach on six at the other end.
Root was seen battling cramps in the final overs on Friday but returned to hound India's bowlers when England resumed on 263-3.
The right-hander looked typically solid against an Indian attack which could manage only a couple of half-hearted lbw appeals against him in the first two sessions.
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The home side did not look sharp on the field either. Ravichandran Ashwin dropped a return catch from Stokes, then on 31, and in the next over, the all-rounder's slog-sweep brushed a diving Cheteshwar Pujara's fingers at midwicket.
Pujara later made amends by taking a juggling catch after Stokes had played a slog-sweep against left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.
Vaughan said India’s approach against England in the first Test match has been ‘nice’.
“If anything, India appeared to be very nice. Virat’s body language was very nice with the cramp thing with Root I'm all for that but there has to be that balance of playing it tough. You’ve got to let the opposition know that you are the dominant force and India should be feeling that way after their recent success in Australia but I didn’t see any of that,” Vaughan added.
(With Reuters inputs)
