Michael Vaughan backs struggling Zak Crawley for ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has put his weight behind opener Zak Crawley for the fourth Test match against India. Crawley could not turn his form in the third Test match against India at Lord’s as he returned with scores of 18 and 22.

The lanky batter has scored 121 runs in three Test matches of the ongoing series at an average of 21.33. Crawley hasn’t been able to deliver the goods for the home team, barring scoring a crucial knock of 65 runs in the second innings of the opening Test at Leeds, Headingley in the run-chase of 371.

Michael Vaughan wrote in his column for the Telegraph, “Crawley is like a grade-two listed building – you cannot pull him down. Nothing I hear suggests England will consider dropping him. But you can gently renovate grade-two listed buildings, and England need to do that. He needs to work on his mindset. He bravely saw off Bumrah in this game, then disrespected Nitish Kumar Reddy, thinking he could hit every ball for four.”

Vaughan said England’s bowlers won them the third Test after they successfully defended 192 runs. Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes scalped three wickets apiece but Vaughan said the home team should not have lost four wickets against Washington Sundar.

“I hope the batsmen are buying the bowlers a few drinks, because, Root aside, this was a careless showing with the bat, especially on the third day. Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope put in performances we have come to expect, and England should not be losing four wickets to Washington Sundar when the ball is hardly turning.”

The former England opener showered praise on Jofra Archer, who bowled a fiery spell on the fifth day morning. Archer was able to account for Rishabh Pant with a jaffa.

“The return of Jofra Archer is the icing on the cake for England, someone who can bowl with genuinely nasty pace. He bowls balls people cannot play. Look at the one to Rishabh Pant on the final morning, that set England on the way to victory. You could say Pant should have got forward, but that is the value of real pace and menace.”

Late on day four, Brydon Carse had got the big wickets of Karun Nair and Shubman Gill, plumbing both the batters with incoming deliveries.

“Carse has the heart of a lion. We talk a lot about skill levels with bowlers, and perhaps not enough about courage and inner strength. Carse just wants to be in the battle, at the heart of the action. You are born with that, and as a captain, you cannot put a price on that sort of spirit. Stokes has it, and so does Carse.”

The fourth Test match between England and India will be played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, from July 23 onwards.