ICC Champions Trophy 2013: Chance for England to create history, says Vaughan

Former skipper Michael Vaughan feels that England are staring at a great chance to create history when they face India Sunday in the final of the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

“This is a great chance for England to create history and win a global 50-over tournament. We reached the final of the Champions Trophy in 2004 but could not quite get over the line. But this team can go one better,” he said.

Vaughan said that the India side England are facing now is much better then the West Indies they lost to in 2004.

“They (England) are a stronger one-day side than we were (in 2004) but that is cancelled out by the fact they are playing an India side better than the West Indies team who beat us nine years ago,” Vaughan wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

Vaughan feels even if England lose the final, they will be still be the favourites along with India in the 2015 World Cup.

“England have a group of players ready to win a tournament and even if they lose on Sunday I put them down as one of two favourites alongside India for the 2015 World Cup in Australia. In Australian conditions this England bowling attack will be a huge threat. It is the first time since 1992, when Graham Gooch‘s team reached the World Cup final, that we have had such a good one-day side,” he said.

“These days England do not show any fear or choke in big games. It is just whether they have enough to beat an outstanding Indian side,” he said.

Vaughan said England bowlers wil go after India’s in-form batsman Shikhar Dhawan.

“There is no doubt England will target the left-hander, Shikhar Dhawan, the batsman of the tournament. They will go short and straight at his right ear. He was out against Australia playing the hook shot to Mitchell Johnson and dropped by the West Indies off a short ball. The bowlers have to be straight and cramp him up. He loves any width. If the ball is on his left ear or just outside his left eye then he plays a glancing shot over the third-man region,” he said.

Lauding India, Vaughan said: “India have been the team of the tournament so far. They are a fearless, aggressive bunch and I have not seen that from India before. This team is better than the World Cup-winning side in 2011. The young players play with freedom. They know this is their chance to create a legacy now the great names have retired.

“They field brilliantly, creating chances for the bowlers through agility. With the bat they look to score off the short ball instead of swaying out the way of it. They hit the ball as hard as any Indian players I have ever seen. They play good, hard strokes you see in Test cricket and it looks as if Duncan Fletcher is loving working with them.”

Vaughan said England should bat first if they win the toss.

“England need to win the toss and bat. The pitches at Edgbaston have been very dry and that should help them produce reverse swing. There has been a bit of chatter around the reverse swing but I believe England are just much better at looking after the ball. When one team reverses it and you do not, you get suspicious. That is the nature of cricket but most of the time it is a bit of envy creeping in,” he said.