ENG vs IND: Give Me A Cheteshwar Pujara In My Test Team Any Day Of The Week - Michael Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was pleased with the batting effort put in by Cheteshwar Pujara in the third innings of the Edgbaston Test, claiming it was what the situation demanded.

Pujara played a slow-paced knock but one that ensured India didn’t collapse under the cloudy skies on Day 3. He also reached his fifty in the process and is the wall that stands between the two teams.

“Scoring 50 off 140-odd deliveries in conditions that are not easy is absolutely what we need. You need to have a player with a little bit of stability about the way they are playing. That allows Pant and Iyer to come out and play in an expansive fashion.”

“Give me a Pujara in my Test team any day of the week. As much as you are scared of Pant, Pujara is the kind of glue that every single team needs to frustrate and wear down the bowlers,” Vaughan said in an interaction with Cricbuzz.

“A 257-run lead is a long way now for England to go and chase” – Michael Vaughan

Vaughan feels the match is well and truly in India’s hands and he doesn’t think the hosts have a chance of chasing down whatever total India set in the fourth innings.

“A 257-run lead is a long way now for England to go and chase. India gets another 150 and it’s 400, which I think it will be, there is odd bounce, spin will come into play and that might be when Shami gets his reward,” he said.

The new ball will be the key as usual and Vaughan feels the Indian pace trio of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj will inflict serious damage.

“I think the four seamers will do some damage inside the first 25 overs. There will certainly be movement there. This is the difference from playing against New Zealand to what they are playing against India.”

“I feel the tactics have not been quite right in the field. A few of the old traits have returned when they are facing real quality. I see nothing but an India win,” Vaughan also added.

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