New Delhi [India], January 23 (ANI): Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Saturday criticised England’s team selection for the first two Tests against India.
According to Vaughan, the best batsman in the English top-order was left out of the first half of the four-match Test series in India.
Referring to Jonny Bairstow, Vaughan took to Twitter and wrote, “The only player in England’s Top 3 that’s playing the sub continent conditions with any control or calmness is resting for the first 2 Tests against the best Team in world at home #India !!! The world is officially mad … #SLvENG.”
England is currently playing a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka and Bairstow has looked promising in the series so far while openers Zak Crawley and Dom Sibley struggled to score runs in sub-continent conditions.
Bairstow was left out of the 16-man squad for the first two Tests in India while Crawley and Sibley are part of that squad. The national selectors have rested Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Mark Wood for the first and second Tests in India.
Under the leadership of Joe Root, England will be looking to show a spirited performance to bolster their chances of making it to the finals of the World Test Championship in June.
England’ squad: Joe Root (Yorkshire) (captain), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).
Reserves: James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Amar Virdi (Surrey).
India and England are set to lock horns in four Tests, five T20Is, and three ODIs. The first Test is set to begin on February 5 in Chennai. (ANI)