Former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan have expressed their concerns following England’s six-run defeat to India in the Oval Test. India dominated the final day with their fierce bowling, taking four wickets for just 29 runs, and leveled the five-match Test series 2–2. Despite a 195-run partnership between Harry Brook and Joe Root, England fell short in their chase.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Hussain said England winning would have been absurd, and that India fully deserved their victory for the quality of cricket they played throughout the series. He added that Mohammed Siraj’s final wicket of Gus Atkinson was the perfect conclusion to the Test.
“It would have been a travesty had England won the series 3–1. India deserve to make it 2–2 for the amount of good cricket they have played in this series. The final scoreline was well and truly deserved by India, and it was very fitting for Siraj to get the final wicket,” he said.
Vaughan, meanwhile, felt England played under pressure, resorting to their aggressive style, which led to high-risk batting and no partnerships among the lower-order batters.
“You have to say that England did panic. The ball was swinging around and they went for this high-risk attacking option. They just needed one partnership. 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,” he told the BBC Test Match Special.
England’s six-run defeat was their narrowest loss in a Test match since their three-run loss to Australia in Manchester in 1902.
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