Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that Andrew Strauss-led side's crushing win over Australia in the second Ashes Test was the testimony of the fact that the team could well go on to replace India as the number one Test side in the world.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that Andrew Strauss-led side's crushing win over Australia in the second Ashes Test was the testimony of the fact that the team could well go on to replace India as the number one Test side in the world.
Vaughan said if England's rampaging form continues in the ongoing coveted Ashes series, there seems to be no reason why the Poms cannot be the top Test team.
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In Ashes second Test match at Adelaide Oval, England crushed the arch-rivals by an innings and 71 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with three more matches to go.
"I now fully expect England to go on and win the series quite convincingly. They have worked hard on their fitness and on their cricketing skills. We can see from the little things like running between the wickets and fielding, just how motivated they are. "If it (form) continues there is no reason why we cannot be the No 1 Test team. India are a good side but we can catch them because we have depth," Vaughan wrote in his column in 'The Telegraph'.
Vaughan said since losing to West Indies in 2009, the English side has come a long way in setting things right. In fact, more hunger and workmanlike spirit could be seen among the boys.
"Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss realised change needed to happen (after 2009). For a period of a year and a half there were some players who were a bit bone-idle. They have cleared out those individuals and there is now a younger, more hungry, workmanlike team playing together," the former skipper said.
"Throughout my period as captain I reckon I managed to get 80 per cent of the players to buy into what we were trying to do, but there was always 20 per cent moaning and not doing what we wanted. It was hard to monitor," he recalled.
Vaughan wrote he could witness great body language, positivity and the mental attitude in the current side.
"When I look at the whole unit I can see that they are professional all the time, whether it is training or a match. The net practices are competitive and that creates an attitude where you play a good brand of cricket under pressure. "Now we see an individual determination from the batters who are making sure they read the situation. Kevin Pietersen read it brilliantly in Adelaide and it was the first time he has done that," said Vaughan.
But the veteran Englishman warned the side to guard against complacency as things could quickly change in Test cricket.
"But before we start popping the champagne corks it is worth remembering things can change quickly in Test cricket," he wrote.
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