Vaughan says Crawley 'lucky' to have so many England caps
But with India resting Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, at Edgbaston, the 27-year-old Crawley reverted to his old ways by twice getting out driving loosely at balls well outside off stump while making scores of 19 and nought.
The tourists crushed England by 336 runs to make it 1-1 with three more matches to come in the series.
Despite his struggles, Crawley has kept his place in England's squad for next week's third Test at Lord's.
"In my time watching, playing for and covering England, he is the player luckiest to have won as many caps as he has," former England captain Vaughan wrote of Crawley in Britain's Daily Telegraph.
"He has to count himself fortunate to have played 56 games while scoring just five hundreds and averaging 31."
Vaughan, who scored 18 Test centuries, added: "Crawley is so exasperating because he has the game.... But he has to score more runs at the top of the order."
England opening great Geoffrey Boycott was even more scathing than Vaughan about Crawley's approach to batting.
"I don't think he can change or get better," said Boycott, writing in the same newspaper. "His faults in technique and thinking are ingrained.
"A leopard doesn't change his spots, or maybe Zak does not want to change. He should be approaching his best years but in 56 Tests he has learned nothing.
"One sparkling innings (of 267) and numerous failures, with an average of 31, is not good enough."
England were also comprehensively out-bowled at Edgbaston. India paceman Akash Deep, only playing because Bumrah was rested, took 10 wickets in the match.
England paceman Chris Woakes took the new ball but managed just two wickets, with Boycott suggesting the 36-year-old's best days are behind him.
"It is counter-productive to keep the same guys in the team when they are past their sell-by date or not doing enough," he said.
"Look at Chris Woakes. His pace is dropping as you would expect as a seamer gets older. He has never been a wicket-taker abroad, where his record is poor."
© 2025 AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
11 hours ago
- France 24
Swiatek into Wimbledon quarter-finals
Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, has never made the Wimbledon final. But the 24-year-old is in a strong position in the second week of the tournament after the exit of so many of the top seeds. In the last eight, Swiatek will face Russian 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, who beat Spain's Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-5, 7-5 to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final. "Honestly it's pretty amazing. It's the first time I really enjoyed London. Sorry guys!" Swiatek said of her previous Wimbledon woes. "We are tennis players, so we feel well off the court when we feel well on the court." Swiatek has lost in the semi-finals of both the Australian and French Opens this year. But world number one Aryna Sabalenka is the only one of the top six women's seeds still standing. Although Swiatek has reached only one All England Club quarter-final, she made the Bad Homburg final on grass recently and also won the Wimbledon junior title. Following her run at Bad Homburg, Swiatek admitted playing on grass had never been easy for her as she said "maybe there is hope for me" on the surface. Despite her grass-court fears, the former world number one is three wins away from adding the Wimbledon trophy to her four French Open crowns and one US Open title. Swiatek's cause was helped by Tauson's struggles on Court One as the Dane complained about the slippier court and called for a medical time-out between sets. "Clara said at the net she wasn't feeling well. I hope she is going to be fine," Swiatek said.
France 24
13 hours ago
- France 24
Djokovic survives scare to reach Wimbledon quarters, Sinner in action
Seven-time champion Djokovic endured a nightmare start to his last-16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, but eventually battled back to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Fresh from his 100th win at Wimbledon on Saturday -- making him the third player to achieve that feat after Martina Navratilova and Roger Federer -- Djokovic reached his 16th quarter-final at the tournament. Aged 38, Djokovic is aiming to win a record 25th major title, breaking a tie with the long-retired Margaret Court, and a record-equalling eighth men's crown at the All England Club. That would make him the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in the Open era. "It wasn't a great start for me, it was a great start for Alex de Minaur obviously. I kind of reset myself in the second set," Djokovic said. "I was very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one." Sixth-seeded Djokovic's 101st victory at Wimbledon came under the gaze of Federer, who was sitting in the front row of the royal box alongside his wife Mirka. "It's probably the first time he's watching me and I've won the match," said Djokovic. "The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse. "No, it's great, obviously, great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone that I admired and respected a lot. "We shared the stage for so many years, and it's great to have him back." Sinner in the groove In the last eight, Djokovic faces Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli, who defeated former Wimbledon runner-up Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3). The 23-year-old will be playing in his Grand Slam quarter-final having never advanced past the third round in his seven previous appearances at the majors. While defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is yet to consistently find his top form at the tournament, Sinner has been dominant on the grass. The three-time Grand Slam champion, who takes on Bulgarian 19th seed Grigor Dmitrov on Monday, is looking to reach his maiden Wimbledon final. He has dropped just 17 games in his first three matches, equalling Jan Kodes' 1972 record for the lowest number of games lost on route to the Wimbledon last 16. Iga Swiatek, a five-time major winner, has never reached a Wimbledon final but the Pole is in a strong position in the second week of the tournament after the exit of so many of the top seeds. Although Swiatek, who plays Danish 23rd seed Clara Tauson in the last 16, has reached only one All England Club quarter-final, she made the Bad Homburg final on grass recently and also won the Wimbledon junior title. Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva, who is just 18 years old, can reach the Wimbledon quarters for the first time if she defeats American 10th seed Emma Navarro, who ended Barbora Krejcikova's reign as champion on Saturday. Former Olympic champion Belinda Bencic reached her maiden Wimbledon quarter-final -- and first at any Grand Slam since 2021 -- with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 victory against Russian world number 17 Ekaterina Alexandrova.
France 24
14 hours ago
- France 24
Djokovic stays on track for Wimbledon glory under Federer gaze
Djokovic was lethargic and unusually tentative in the early stages of his last-16 match against the Australian 11th seed on Centre Court, but eventually found his rhythm to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It keeps the seven-time champion on track for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, which would be the crowning achievement of an astonishing career. If he wins the crown on Sunday, the 38-year-old Serb would also draw level with Federer's record of eight men's titles at the All England Club. Retired Swiss great Federer watched from the royal box as his long-time rival was given his toughest test of the tournament so far. "It's probably the first time he's watching me and I've won the match," said Djokovic. "The last couple I lost, so good to break the curse. "No, it's great, obviously, great to have Roger, a huge champion and someone that I admired and respected a lot. "We shared the stage for so many years, and it's great to have him back." Sixth seed Djokovic was broken in the first game and conceded two more breaks as De Minaur ran away with the first set. The Serb committed 16 unforced errors, including four double faults in the opener. Djokovic broke immediately at the start of the second set but then became bogged down in a game lasting nearly 19 minutes, which De Minaur won on his sixth break point. Both players struggled to hold onto their serve in an attritional battle but Djokovic, pleading for support from the crowd, held his nerve to level the match, letting out a roar as De Minaur went long. The third set went with serve until the ninth game, when De Minaur skewed a forehand wide to concede the crucial break. De Minaur found new inspiration in the fourth set, surging into a 4-1 lead but crumbled at the pivotal moment as Djokovic fought back, reeling off five games in a row to seal the win in three hours and 18 minutes. "I'm still trying to process the whole match and what happened on the court," he said. "It wasn't a great start for me, it was a great start for him obviously. "I was just very pleased to hang in tough in the right moments and win this one." Djokovic's tally of 16 Wimbledon quarter-finals is second only to Federer's total of 18 in men's tennis. He will play Italian 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli in the last eight, with a potential semi-final looming against world number one Jannik Sinner.
