Michael Vaughan, Mark Waugh and Shane Warne suggest changes in England's Test side ahead of Ashes 2021

Team England isn’t enjoying an ideal ride in the purest format of the game. They succumbed to a 1-3 loss against India earlier this year followed by a home Test series defeat against New Zealand by 0-1. The failure of the England team in Test format has invited a lot of criticism for them. Former England captain Michael Vaughan and Australia’s veteran cricketers Mark Waugh and Shane Warne were involved in an interactive session where they spoke at length regarding the changes Joe Root-side should make in their Playing XI.

Vaughan believes that the main reason behind England’s poor performance is their fragile and vulnerable batting line-up. The former England skipper is of the view that the team needs to make serious changes in their batting order if they wish to produce comprehensive performances in the upcoming five-match Test series against India followed by the Ashes later this year.

Speaking on Fox Cricket’s ‘Road to the Ashes’ podcast, Vaughan backed the inclusion of Dawid Malan in the side as the veteran wants Dom Sibley to be excluded from the playing XI. Though Zak Crawley hasn’t produced any impressive performances, Vaughan believes that he is a class player and needs to be promoted up the batting order to open the innings alongside Rory Burns.

I’d bring Dawid Malan back at No. 3: Michael Vaughan

“The batting line-up is fragile, it is as simple as that. [Jos] Buttler, [Ben] Stokes will come back in, [Chris] Woakes – yes, they will improve the team but unless that batting line-up changes and can learn and understand how to get big scores against good bowlers, I can’t see how they can compete. It’s going to be tough to beat India on these shores but Australia will get 450-500, I can’t see it unless they make one or two changes,” Michael Vaughan said.

“I’d bring in Dawid Malan back in at No. 3. I’d put him at No. 3, I’d put [Zak] Crawley in to open. I know that’s a bit of fortune for Crawley because he hasn’t got as many runs but I think he can play. I’d leave [Rory] Burns, Crawley, Malan, Root, Stokes, Ollie Pope at six, Buttler at seven, Woakes at eight. Will that be a good enough eight to get big, big scores? I think it’d be a better chance than the seven I saw against New Zealand. They were very, very fragile,” he added.

Mark Waugh and Shane Warne echoed the same sentiments of Michael Vaughan as they questioned the selection of Sibley in the England Test side. Both the veterans are of the opinion that Sibley isn’t a Test player and immediately needs to be dropped.