Michael Vaughan has questioned England’s high-risk approach in the tense finale at The Oval, where India snatched a dramatic six-run win to level the five-Test series 2-2. Speaking after the match, the former England captain said that while aggression is part of England’s identity, the collapse on the final day suggested panic crept in. “You have to say that England did panic,” Vaughan remarked. “The ball was swinging around and they went for this high-risk attacking option. They just needed one partnership,” the ex-England skipper said while speaking on BBC Test Match Special.
England had started the final morning with promise, taking eight runs off the first two balls to bring the target down to 27. But that was as close as they got. “They panicked in a way that they can with the way that they play. It’s not panic — it’s just the way that they play. They play with a huge amount of aggression,” Vaughan added. The turning point, according to Vaughan, came a day earlier with Harry Brook’s dismissal when England had the upper hand. “As much as I like to see him play that way, it did cause that collapse,” he noted. Despite the result, Vaughan acknowledged England’s attacking style remains central to their Test philosophy. “As Baz (Brendon) McCullum said, the series will have been watched all around the world by a huge amount of people. And there’s a bigger picture — not always about the winning side of the series, but making sure that lots of people are watching. It’s exactly what’s happened.” India sealed victory in dramatic fashion as Mohammed Siraj clean bowled Gus Atkinson to spark wild celebrations. Siraj finished with 5 for 104 and a match haul of nine wickets. Earlier in the day, Chris Woakes walked out to bat with a strapped shoulder, hiding his left arm under a sweater in a remarkable display of courage. He remained unbeaten without facing a ball.
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Twenty-five days of hard-fought cricket came to a fitting climax in London, with India pulling off one of their most memorable comebacks in recent times.
