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Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that the post-Virat Kohli era, India’s red-ball ambitions will no longer rest on a singular force. Speaking to PTI, Vaughan stated that while India has made an encouraging start to life after Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the journey ahead will require a new generation to rise together, much like Kohli once did on his own.
Michael Vaughan predicts India’s next great trio that could rule world cricket
The former skipper of England, Vaughan, warned against premature celebrations over early success, stating that true greatness lies in building and sustaining an era of dominance. Vaughan eventually identified the trio he sees as key to India’s long-term Test success: Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. According to him, they have the skill and temperament to shape Indian Test cricket’s next chapter. Vaughan stressed that it wasn’t just about the runs, Kohli brought energy, tactical sharpness, and sustained India’s No. 1 status. If Gill, Pant, and Jaiswal can even approach that standard collectively, they’ll have served their country well.
“They (Gill, Jaiswal and Pant) now have to drag this Indian Test team forward like Virat did single-handedly. There’s a group of them that I see that play the game the right way. They’ve got a great chance of leaving a legacy in a few years’ time of doing what Virat Kohli did to the Indian Test team. If they can be anywhere near as close as what he brought to the Test match team, the energy and the number-one status for such a long period of time, they’ll have done a decent job,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan criticizes India’s team selections for the Edgbaston Test against England
Amid praise for India’s new stars, Vaughan voiced sharp disapproval over certain selection choices in the ongoing England series. Chief among them was Jasprit Bumrah’s omission from the second Test despite a full week’s rest. He also questioning the absence of Kuldeep Yadav.
“I didn’t agree with that. Seven days off and you don’t play your best bowler. No Kuldeep, I don’t understand that as well. I didn’t quite get that India were going to bowl first as well here,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
With the pitch showing signs of aiding spinners, Vaughan insisted Kuldeep’s record against England warranted a place in the XI. He suggested India missed an opportunity to dominate by not exploiting conditions more astutely.
“I just don’t quite understand why you wouldn’t want Kuldeep in the Test team. It’s a Test game that’s over five days and over five days a leg-spinner should have a say. His record against England is exceptional. I’d certainly be looking to use Kuldeep Yadav a bit more if that was an Indian Test team. When you play two spinners surely the way for beating them, you get runs on the board and hope the pitch deteriorates. I wouldn’t look at Headingley at anything other than that. If they’d have caught the chances, India would have won,” Vaughan concluded.
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