After the defeat in Perth, England went into the second Ashes game with only one change and a bright new spirit. Michael Vaughan feels the team has finally achieved the right mix to take on the Gabba and thus pointed to the visitor’s strong momentum.
Michael Vaughan Is Happy With The Brisbane Selection
England dropped Mark Wood for Will Jacks in the playing XI. Jacks not only offers off-spin but also can play a few useful runs down the order. Vaughan praised the change and said the XI looked balanced for a pink-ball game. He insisted the team simply failed to perform in Perth and that wrong selections did not cause the setback. He also urged England to have more faith in their skills and to perform cleaner sessions. In social media, he reflected his upbeat mood and said the squad was creating positive energy this week.
Vaughan Desires More of a Conventional Style at the Gabba
Vaughan cautioned the team against overdoing the Bazball style at a ground where you get more runs for your controlled shots. He admitted that the pink ball is really difficult and that it changes a lot at night. He asked the stumps men to keep their eye on the ball when the conditions change.
He even went so far as to suggest that England may be better off chasing a target as the batting order clicks more when they have a clear goal. However, he still maintained that batting first is best in day-night Tests because the light is more stable.
Author’s opinion
The change of England looks clever but requires the team to be very disciplined. Jacks adds another dimension to the attack; however, it is a bit worrying that he hasn’t played a Test for quite a while. England must be able to do good things and at the same time make mature decisions if they want to keep the Ashes battle going.
