'England can't keep going with Burns and Sibley at the top' - Michael Vaughan suggest changes for 3rd Test vs India

Former cricketer Michael Vaughan has stated changes that he would want to see in the England team going into the third Test against India. The Yorkshireman has heavily criticized the opening combination of Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley for their repeated failures and has suggested a change. 

There has been a lot of talk about England’s batting unit in the ongoing series. None of the batters have managed to play any knock of substance, other than captain Joe Root. The top three especially have been under fire since the start of this year. England already dropped Zak Crawley from the XI after his string of low scores. 

Haseeb Hameed was brought back into the England XI after almost five years, but even he looked tentative at Lord’s. He made a golden duck and a patient 45-ball 9 in the first and second innings respectively. Vaughan though backed the Nottinghamshire youngster to be pushed up the order to open. 

I want to see Dawid Malan at three: Michael Vaughan

Despite not mentioning who should be dropped first between Sibley and Burns, Vaughan suggested Dawid Malan should be brought in. Malan had previously played 15 Tests and made 724 runs at an average of 27. The former skipper argued that his experience could be important at no. 3.

“I want a bit more substance and experience. I want to see Dawid Malan at three. England cannot keep going with the Rory Burns-Dom Sibley opening partnership after 10 ducks this year. It is the definition of insanity. It just does not work,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

Vaughan further noted that the England team needs some substance in the last three Tests against India. He mentioned that this would be the last three matches before they play Ashes in December so it is time to test someone. He also pointed out that Burns-Sibley’s opening partnership has been extremely poor. 

“In total, 37 percent of their partnerships this year have not gone past the second over. That is staggering. You can’t carry on with that and England knows it. I would give Hameed his rightful spot to open and throw in Malan. England now needs a little bit of substance. They have three games against India then straight into an Ashes series,” Vaughan wrote.