After two days of competitive action in the third Test between England and India (Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy) at Lord’s, India trails by 242 runs with seven wickets in hand. While England posted a strong first-innings total of 387, the biggest concern emerging from the match so far has been the slow over-rate from both teams.
Across the first two days, 22 overs were lost due to slow play. On Day 1, India bowled 83 overs, falling short of the regulation 90. On Day 2, both sides combined to bowl only 75 overs, a worrying 15 overs short of the daily target.
“You Have to Bowl the 90 Overs” – Michael Vaughan
Former England captain and well-known cricket pundit Michael Vaughan has criticised the consistently slow pace of play in modern Test cricket. Speaking to BBC Sport, Vaughan expressed frustration over the issue and questioned the lack of urgency.
“I don’t think fines work. I think these lads are quite rich. I don’t think the cash is going to affect them. It’s been a problem for Test match cricket for a while. I know it’s hot. I know we’ve had a few injuries, but when we get to the fifth day, we have to bowl the 90 overs,” he said.
Vaughan pointed out the inconsistency in the approach across different days of a Test. “I have no idea why on days one, two, three, and four, we can see the game played at a snail’s pace. Surely the game moves on by saying on day one there’s 90 overs. Guess what we’re going to do? We’re going to bowl 90 overs. On day two, exactly the same,” he added.
He also highlighted the dramatic shift in urgency that is often seen on Day 5 when there’s no room for compromise. “You watch on day five when the players, the umpires, know that 90 overs have to be bowled. They’ll be running around. There won’t be as many drinks breaks, there won’t be as many delays because they know that 90 overs have to be bowled.”
Vaughan concluded with a straightforward recommendation:“I’d make it very, very simple. You have to bowl the 90 overs. I would guarantee that would improve the pace.”
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