Michael Vaughan Calls For India To Go A 'Little Bit Harder' While Batting Against Australia

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan is not impressed by the way India has so far approached their cricket in Australia. After losing a high-scoring ODI series, India and Australia will fight it out in the three T20 games, commencing on Friday in Canberra. Michael Vaughan believes that India must aim to go as hard as possible early to put pressure on Australia.

Australia plundered totals of 374 and 389 in the first two ODIs, piling on the misery by stitching opening partnerships of more than 100. And following that, Steve Smith notched up stellar centuries off 62 balls and Glenn Maxwell carried on the task of power-hitting in the slog overs to leave India in disarray. It was only in the third ODI that the visitors were able to match up to Australia, securing a narrow and consolation win by 13 runs.

Michael Vaughan admitted that the partnership of 150 between Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja in the final ODI was the only significant one and otherwise India stayed on the backfoot. The 46-year old believes that it is the culture and freedom around the dressing room that allows players to play aggressively and remains confident that the men in blue have everything to play that way.

“We saw an incredible partnership between Pandya and Jadeja but beyond that is not great deal but I was just wondering back of the mind that they are playing timidly and is getting them into a situation. I just think it’s freedom and culture around dressing room which allows them to do that (play aggressively) and I think, India have the talent in their batsmen and playing with that approach because they’ve got the skill, they’ve got the time, they’ve got the gift,” Vaughan told Cricbuzz.

I just wonder it’s a little bit old school: Michael Vaughan

And Vaughan doubts whether India has such a mindset within their dressing room and sees old-school cricket in them. The 2005 Ashes-winning captain observed that it is only the slog overs that Virat Kohli’s men play consistently and have enough talent to play with freedom early on.

“I just wonder if in that culture, in the Indian dressing room, I just wonder it’s a little bit old school. I just wonder it’s a little bit back the innings when we play consistently. They’ve got enough talent to go out for it a little bit early and a bit harder,” he added.

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