England can replace ageing India as top Test side: Vaughan
December 31st, 2010 - 7:49 pm ICT by IANS
London, Dec 31 (IANS) Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has tipped England to take over the position of No.1 Test side as India are an ageing side.Vaughan feels the other top teams India, Sri Lanka and South Africa will lose players in the near future paving the way for England to claim the top Test spot.
“India are an ageing side. V.V.S. Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid will go soon. Zaheer Khan will not bowl forever and has suffered injuries. He missed the first Test of their series in South Africa and they lost,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph Friday.
“How much have South Africa got in reserve if Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn get injured or what happens when Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis retire?
“Sri Lanka have lost Muttiah Muralitharan, who put them in the top bracket of teams. They will still score a lot of runs but if you cannot take 20 wickets it is difficult over a long period to win series,” he said.
Vaughan gives reasons for the English supremacy in the longer-version of the game.
“If you look at England then you can see Andrew Strauss going on for three or four years. The team can stay together for a long time and there is no great side for them to be fearful of. There is no gulf in class between No.3 in the world and No.1, which was the case when Australia were far better than anyone else.”
“We have seen in this series that when Stuart Broad missed out Chris Tremlett came in and performed. The same for Steven Finn and Tim Bresnan. Ajmal Shahzad is waiting in the wings, Monty Panesar is in reserve and Adil Rashid will probably be ready in a year’s time. Eoin Morgan is waiting patiently, hoping he will get a chance.
“England’s attack would have two spinners (an offie and leggie) and three seamers. Imagine Rashid, Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson and Tremlett. What a unit that could be,” he wrote.
England have retained the Ashes by winning the Melbourne Test and Vaughan rates the victory as predictable because of Australia’s decline in the recent past.
“Remember Australia are only the fifth-ranked team in the world. The Ashes is massive and means a lot to people back home, but in reality England have only beaten a middle-ranked team.
“That is not to knock their achievement. They have out-planned, bowled, and fielded Australia and shown their true potential.
“The best teams beat opposition the standard of this Australian side,” Vaughan criticised the baggy greens.
- Can't understand India's opposition to DRS: Tremlett - Jun 14, 2011
- South African bowling coach Donald plans to topple England - Aug 17, 2011
- India have good chance of going past England in ODI rankings - Oct 12, 2011
- Dravid rises in ICC rankings, Tendulkar drops to 4th - Jul 26, 2011
- Broad retains his place, Bresnan recalled in England squad - Jul 17, 2011
- India have to prove they are world's top Test team: Botham - May 26, 2011
- England deserve to be No.1 Test team: ICC - Aug 13, 2011
- Test rankings: England on top, India third - Apr 07, 2012
- Swann says it would be great if England gets No. 1 ranking - May 01, 2011
- South Africa aim for clean sweep to claim No.1 ranking - Mar 06, 2012
- England deserve to overtake India as No.1: Allan Donald - Jul 27, 2011
- Chanderpaul back as No.1 Test batsman - Apr 29, 2012
- India top Test rankings, England challenge Proteas - Jan 07, 2011
- England announce unchanged squad for Oval Test - Aug 14, 2011
- "Ashes-just a 'warm-up' before 2011 Test series against 'champs' India," jibes Michael Vaughan - Nov 02, 2010
Tags: ajmal, andrew strauss, bresnan, captain michael, chris tremlett, england cricket captain, james anderson, leggie, mark boucher, melbourne test, michael vaughan, monty panesar, morne morkel, muralitharan, rahul dravid, sachin tendulkar, shahzad, test side, v v s laxman, waiting in the wings