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'Very, Very Average': Former Captain Slams Rohit Sharma's Captaincy After India's Shameful Defeat

image-lryrhz3hIndia lost the match from pole position (Twitter)

Former England captain Michael Vaughan recently expressed his views on England's stunning victory over India in the first Test at Hyderabad, highlighting the shortcomings of Indian captain Rohit Sharma's leadership during the match. Vaughan, who described England's win as the greatest in their Test history, critiqued Rohit's captaincy as being markedly below par.


Vaughan slammed Rohit Sharma's tactics in Hyderabad Test

In his column for The Telegraph, Vaughan pointed out that Rohit appeared to be overly reactive, lacking proactive strategies in his field placements and bowling changes. He observed that the Indian skipper seemed unable to effectively counter England batsman Ollie Pope's aggressive batting, particularly his sweeps and reverse sweeps, which were vital in England's second innings.

“In India’s first-Test defeat in Hyderabad I thought Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was very, very average. I thought he was so reactive, I don’t think he manoeuvred his field or was proactive with his bowling changes. And he didn’t have any answer to Ollie Pope’s sweeps or reverse sweeps,” wrote Vaughan.

Vaughan's comments came in the wake of England's stunning victory, where they overturned a significant first-innings deficit to clinch the match. The win was particularly noteworthy given India's formidable reputation in home Tests and their substantial 190-run lead after the first innings.

The former England skipper hailed this victory as unparalleled in his lifetime, considering the challenges England faced, including India's strength at home and the turning pitch conditions. He highlighted the exceptional performances of England's debutant Tom Hartley and Ollie Pope, whose contributions were vital in securing the win.

“Beating this India team away is simply the finest England Test match victory of my lifetime. There have been some sensational England away wins over the years. But what England have just done in Hyderabad tops them all: it’s number one for me. No one does that to India in their backyard,” added the English veteran.

Meanwhile, England has secured a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with the second Test set to commence on February 2 in Vizag.