India have always been favourites to win this series because they are the better team: Michael Vaughan
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan remarked that India are the deserved series winners over the Englishmen. Virat Kohli's side coasted to a 2-1 series lead on Monday in the fourth Test at the Oval with a 157-run victory.
The Indian team produced a terrific bowling display on day five after England's opening pair resisted on the previous day. Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed stitched a century stand before the former perished. However, India's bowlers came back exceptionally well in the last two sessions to bowl England out for 210.
Michael Vaughan termed India the favorites, claiming they were the superior team from the outset. The 46-year old hailed the tourists for sparking a turnaround under pressure with their in-form and available resources.
"India have always been favourites to win this series because they are the better team. They turned this Test match around from day one and that is what high-class teams do. Look at India’s batting line-up and not many are in form but they found a way. They are battle-hardened so when pressure is on they know how to play," Vaughan wrote in The Telegraph.
Despite winning only one Test in their last two England tours, India started as overwhelming favorites. All-rounder Ben Stokes pulling out of the series tilted the scales in the visitors' favor.
England needed intent to make 291 on day five: Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan believes England had a genuine chance of making the remaining 291 runs on day five, but they needed to be proactive. Vaughan highlighted that with batting only likely to get difficult, the home side had to display intent early.
"There was always a chance of making 291 on day five to win but England needed intent. They could not just bat out a session and see where they were at lunch. You cannot leave it all to the last two sessions chasing 291 on a slow, low wicket. It is OK to do that in Australia at places like the Gabba where the ball is bouncing on day five but here it was more difficult and they should have shown more intent in the first session."
By the time the first session on day five ended, England had lost two wickets and made only 54 runs. The game turned massively after lunch as Hameed perished after a defiant 61. The rest of the batters hardly survived the venomous bowling by India.