Michael Vaughan Slams England For Resting Jonny Bairstow Against India

Michael Vaughan has hit out at the England selectors for their decision to rest Jonny Bairstow for the first two Tests against India. England announced the squad for the first two games of the four-match series earlier this week and raised a number of eyebrows with their decision to rest the experience batsman.

Bairstow is one of the best players of the spin in the England team and has proved it once again with his performance in the ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka. He scored 47 and 35* in the team’s seven-wicket victory in the first Test and was unbeaten on 24 off 65 deliveries on Day 2 of the ongoing second Test in Galle on Saturday.

Bairstow’s Test numbers in Asia are slightly better than his overall figures. In the 14 Tests he has played in the subcontinent, he has scored 852 runs at an average of 38.72 including a century. As far as his performance in India is concerned, he has played six Tests in the country and has scored 361 runs at a fine average of 40.11.

Unsurprisingly, the decision to rest him has met with criticism and Michael Vaughan also made it clear that he was not all impressed with it. The former England skipper took to Twitter to express his displeasure over the decision as he said that “the world is officially mad”.

“The only player in England’s Top 3 that’s playing the sub continent conditions with any control or calmness is resting for the first 2 Tests against the best Team in world at home #India !!! The world is officially mad…,” wrote Michael Vaughan.

The only player in England’s Top 3 that’s playing the sub continent conditions with any control or calmness is resting for the first 2 Tests against the best Team in world at home #India !!! The world is officially mad … #SLvENG

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) January 23, 2021

Meanwhile, England will tour India for a full-fledged series. They will play four Tests, five T20Is and three ODIs in India. The Test series will start on February 5 in Chennai. The series will also mark the resumption of international cricket in India after the pandemic halted action around the world last March.

England’s squad for the first two Tests:

Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

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