"He bowled like a schoolboy" - Michael Vaughan slams Sam Curran for Day 1 display
Former England captain Michael Vaughan slammed Sam Curran for his spell against India on Day 1 of the second Test. He opined that the spell from the left-arm seamer resembled that of a schoolboy.
Curran looked hardly threatening throughout the day’s play. The left-arm pacer bowled 18 overs and conceded 58 runs with nothing to show in the wickets column.
Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special podcast, Michael Vaughan said it was all too easy for the Indian batters.
“I love Sam Curran. He brings so much energy and buzz to any format. But I thought he bowled today a little bit like a schoolboy. It was so obvious the way he bowled, it was too easy for the Indian batters.”
Vaughan reiterated the importance of working your way through the spell and setting up the batters. Nothing comes easy when you are up against quality batters in Test matches.
“It was all right to swing one back into the pads and get you out. That doesn’t happen against quality. You've got to set the batters up. You've got to go across, across, and it might be the second or third over that you get one nipping back into the pads.”
Sam Curran has had a good run in Test matches during his short career so far, especially in home conditions. In 22 Tests, the 23-year-old has collected 44 wickets so far. However, Day 1 of the Lord's Test against India was one of those rare days where he looked off color.
“We have got trouble coming ahead” – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan reckons that England's fast bowling reserves do not have plenty of depth at the moment. The former England captain says the future looks bleak once James Anderson and Stuart Broad hang up their boots.
Vaughan pointed out that the performance of the seamers on Day 1 of the Lord’s Test, barring Anderson, seemed quite ordinary.
“I will be brutally honest. I think, today showed me that we have got trouble coming ahead. You take Jimmy Anderson out of that attack today, and that is what England have got. We are probably just starting to see the prominence of Broad and Anderson, how great they are. You take Jimmy Anderson out of that attack today, I am sorry, the England team just looked okay,” Vaughan added.
The pacers will have their task cut out on the morning of Day 2 as the Indian batters look set to kick on and put up a good total on the board.