Vaughan's slump and Inzi's triumph

Vaughan's batting horrors
S Rajesh
July 29, 2005

An exceptionally talented batsman going through a bad phase or merely a good one who lucked out for a season before being found out? Opinions will remain divided, but Michael Vaughan's numbers over the last 30 months don't make impressive reading - 1851 runs in 30 matches at 37.77. In nine series since that outstanding Ashes run, Vaughan has averaged more than 37 only three times, and two of those were against the side which has been every out-of-form batsman's dream opposition: omit those series against Bangladesh, and Vaughan's average during this period drops to a miserable 33.61. Over a year, perhaps 18 months, a batsman can be allowed a slump like this one, but when it extends over two-and-a-half years, it's time to raise questions. And Vaughan's batting technique has, of late, given rise to plenty of question-marks.
When Vaughan first made his mark in international cricket, he was seen as a batsman who was copybook correct and solid in both defence and attack. Now, both appear iffy. For someone who plays at the top of the order and whose batting is based on orthodoxy, it's critical to have a technique which can keep out good deliveries around off, for quality fast bowlers will consistently zero in on that area to exploit a chink. Vaughan has proved unequal to the task far too often, time and again making good balls appear unplayable by misreading the line and getting bowled or edging to the slip cordon. The second innings of the recent Lord's Test was the most recent example, when a Rahul Dravid would have, more likely than not, covered the line of the movement and blocked the ball; Vaughan missed, and had his off stump knocked back.

It wasn't a one-off, either - Vaughan's technique has repeatedly been found wanting, especially against fast bowlers. Since the 2002-03 Ashes series, Vaughan has fallen to a fast bowler who's pitched it on a good length in the corridor 24 times, and his balls per dismissal - 63.46 - is much lower than the corresponding figure for Dravid, Jacques Kallis or Ricky Ponting. Of the 49 times Vaughan has been dismissed during this period, 35 have been to catches, and 28 of those - that's 80% - have been the result of edges to the wicketkeeper or the slips.

Against seamers, good-length balls on or oustside off, since Jan 6, 2003Balls/ RunsDismissalsBalls per dismissalJacques Kallis2452/ 66720122.60Rahul Dravid 1421/ 28012118.42Ricky Ponting1249/ 42412104.08Michael Vaughan 1523/ 4562463.46

Two bowlers who have exploited this weakness to the hilt are Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath. Pollock especially, has completely dominated Vaughan, dismissing him five times - as many as McGrath - and restricting him to 91 runs from 367 balls, that's a measly 1.5 runs per over. Moreover, all ten of those dismissals - five by each bowler - were to good-length deliveries on or outside off stump.



Vaughan's defence has been iffy, but his strokeplay and his shot selection have been equally suspect. There's little doubt that Vaughan's cover-drive and the swivel-pull are among the most sumptuous sights in cricket, but have the percentages worked for him when he is playing those strokes? A batsman's most productive stroke should usually be a fairly high-percentage one, which fetches him plenty of runs without leading to too many dismissals. As the table below indicates, Dravid, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis all rely on strokes which are highly productive and relatively risk free. Vaughan, on the other hand, has succumbed when playing the cover-drive five times - each time off fast bowlers, against whom his cover-drive average is only 53.60 - and to the pull four times.

Vaughan's three most productive strokesRunsDismissalsAverageCover-drive352570.40Turn to leg 243460.75Pull235458.75

Other batsmen's most productive strokesRunsDismissalsAverageKallis - cover-drive3541354.00Dravid - cover-drive 2021202.00Ponting - pull260386.67

Of the 49 completed innings he has played over the last two-and-a-half years, 33 have been scores of 25 or less. The team's result under his captaincy has ensured, though, that Vaughan's batting hasn't got as much flak as it might have otherwise. Among current captains who have led their teams in more than five Tests, Vaughan's average of 36.56 is only better than Habibul Bashar's. A one-off brilliant innings from Vaughan is still quite possible - he might bring one off the next time he bats against Australia, at Edgbaston - but unless he sorts out his defensive technique and his shot selection, he might struggle to score with the consistency expected from one of the critical cogs in the England batting wheel.

Captains at the crease
since August 2003TestsRunsAverageShivnarine Chanderpaul784093.33Brian Lara 16169060.36Inzamam-ul-Haq13118059.00Ricky Ponting 14118056.19Graeme Smith 28244251.96Marvan Atapattu 1192848.84Sourav Ganguly1584942.45Tatenda Taibu 644040.00Stephen Fleming19124138.78Michael Vaughan 27164536.56Habibul Bashar1054728.79

No matter what ex-players say about Inzi captaincy, it is indeed one of the best in the world when compared to Vaughan or even Ponting!

Cant really compare Vaughan and Inzi untill and unless both of them come face to face playing against each other but yes ever since becomming a captain Vaughan's batting has been on a decline, on the other hand Inzi have drastically improved his game specially the one in the longer version ever since becomming a captain. Everyone expected Inzi to retire but now Pakistan's test batting is nothing without Inzi on the other hand Vaughan has been a mere passenger in the England batting lineup.

Sorry guys but the tables have messed up when I posted the article above so it's not very clear, sorry!

This is great news, with Vaughan on the decline, less chance to make the WOrld XI and more chance for Inzi to become the captian

thats ok Usman>Great to inzi average 59 with the bat more than Pointing even

Like I have been saying time and time again, Vaughan is not that good of a bat. I have said this since that last Ashes series on many sport boards I use to post at(Nauman knows) and I will stick it. He likes pace on the ball, and Australia provided for him on quick pitches. He has now been exposed and figured out, if he is a true great, he will fight against all odds and come back, if not...Sorry Mr. Botham, likes like yet anotehr one hit English wonder.

Sorry to disappoint you lads,

but have a look at Vaughans score in yesterdays totesport match against Kent.
The boy is back .

I'll believe the Boy is back when he comes face to face with the Men from down under... and the great separater himself ...Mac the knife...

I'm glad he got runs anyhow...I particularly enjoyed his unbeaten 82 in the 4th test against SA at the Wanderers earlier this year.

Micheal Vaughan? Inzamam ul Haq?

The two cannot even be named in the same setence. What an insult to Inzi to even try to compare the two!

vaughans LOI career for yorkshire is a joke...! hes got either 3 100`s in 256 LOI games....! @ ave 28.93 which is a joke by county standards.