Vaughan wants England batting order reshuffle
Former captain Michael Vaughan has suggested a radical reshuffle of England’s batting order for the third Ashes Test in Perth, starting on Thursday, if they want to get back into the series.
The visitors are already two-nil down with three games to play and Vaughan, a former Ashes-winning captain, feels England must do something to counter the home side’s bowling attack.
In four innings in the series so far, England’s highest team total is 302 in the first innings of the first Test in Brisbane, where Test rookies Mark Stoneman, James Vince and Dawid Malan all posted half-centuries.
But in three innings since, those batsmen have combined to score just 159 runs at 17.67 with opener Stoneman contributing more than half.
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Vaughan’s suggestion is to move James Vince from number three down to number five with Malan batting at first drop.
Then also moving wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow up to number six ahead of Moeen Ali, who has struggled against off-spinner Nathan Lyon.
The changes would also allow England to have more right-handers in the middle-order to counter the threat of Lyon, who has arguably been the best bowler in the two games played so far.
In an article published on Cricket Australia’s website, Vaughan said: “If I was England I’d jig the order. I’d put Vince to five, Malan to three. (Malan) bats at three for Middlesex so that’s a position he’s used to.
“He looks to me the kind of player that I don’t think he’s going to be over-aggressive but he’d fight to get rid of that new ball. It would allow Vince to bat a little more freely at five.
“He is a player that likes to play his strokes and against the Kookaburra new ball, particularly against the quality the Aussies have got you’ve got to fancy they create chances.
“Also, I’d have Jonny at six. Then you’ve got four, five and six all right-handers to nullify Nathan Lyon.”
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