Michael Vaughan Critiques Short Ashes Test Despite England's Victory
Vaughan's Take on the Ashes Test
Michael Vaughan, a former cricketer for England, has voiced his concerns regarding the recent fourth Ashes Test held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which concluded in just two days. He believes that no true Test cricket enthusiast should find joy in such a brief match.
In this match, led by Ben Stokes, England achieved a significant four-wicket victory over Australia on Saturday. This win marked England's first success in the series, which now stands at 3-1 in favor of Australia, who have already secured the Ashes.
Concerns Over Test Cricket's Future
Vaughan, now a commentator, shared his perspective on social media, acknowledging England's win but cautioning that the brevity of the match should not be celebrated by Test cricket fans. He stated, "A win is a win, and England should celebrate ... but NO Test cricket fans should be celebrating what we have seen for 2 days."
Match Summary: A Day of Wickets
In the match, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. Josh Tongue made history by taking England's first-ever five-wicket haul in a Boxing Day Test at the MCG, dismissing Australia for 152 runs in 45.2 overs. Michael Neser and Usman Khawaja were the top scorers for Australia, with 35 and 29 runs, respectively.
England's first innings saw them bowled out for 110 runs in 29.5 overs, with Harry Brook scoring 41 runs and Gus Atkinson contributing 28. The combination of England's aggressive 'Bazball' strategy faltering and a challenging pitch made it easy for Neser and Scott Boland to claim wickets, leaving England trailing by 42 runs.
England's Chase for Victory
In their second innings, Australia struggled again, managing only 132 runs in 34.3 overs. Travis Head was the standout performer with 46 runs, while Steve Smith added 24 not out. This set England a target of 175 runs to win.
England began their chase positively, with a solid partnership between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, followed by another between Crawley and Jacob Bethell. Although Australia fought back, reducing England to 165/6, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith ultimately secured the victory.