Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the real test for the English side will come in Sydney in the fifth Test of the ongoing Ashes series 2025/26.
Like many experts, Vaughan also feels that the match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was a lottery.
“I think it’s a massive game for England [in Sydney]. It’s nice to win a game of cricket, but let’s be honest, it was a complete lottery in Melbourne. It wasn’t a proper game of Test match cricket. For the future and for this management in particular, they need to win a strong game of cricket here … that’s not a two-dayer,” Vaughan was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying.
After being 3-0 down in the series, England defeated Australia by four wickets in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The match was a low-scoring affair and concluded within two days, which triggered widespread criticism from cricket experts.
Vaughan also believes that if England lose the final Test, Brendon McCullum’s future as head coach could come under scrutiny.
“For this management to carry on, the likes of Ben and Baz – I’m pretty sure they will carry on – but I think they need a good week for that to be absolutely rock solid. There’s a huge appetite within the group to keep [McCullum] on. But fundamentally, if they get pummelled in Sydney, there needs to be some honest conversations. I think chopping and changing is not necessarily the right thing for English cricket… If they can accept that, I have no problem with the management staying the same.”
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