Manchester, July 24: Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes the inclusion of seasoned left-arm spinner Liam Dawson, who is an “all-round package”, has added balance to the English Test team in the ongoing series against India.
Drafted into the playing XI after an eight-year hiatus following Shoaib Bashir’s injury, the 35-year-old wasted no time in making an impact.
He dismissed the in-form Yashasvi Jaiswal with just his seventh delivery, having him caught at first slip on the opening day of the fourth Test against India on Wednesday.
“He is the kind of cricketer as a captain you say ‘give me control, a few runs and you field nicely’,” Vaughan told the ‘Test Match Special’ podcast.
“It is the all-round package and for this England side, and going forward to Australia, they are stronger with this style of cricketer in it.” Dawson last featured in a Test match back in 2017 against South Africa and has since had a stop-start international career, having played three Tests, six ODIs, and 14 T20Is, taking a total of seven wickets in the longest format.
Bashir has been England’s first choice spinner since last year. He is the last person to come out to bat for England with a top Test score of 13. Dawson, on the other hand, boasts of 18 first-class hundreds.
“On the pitches we are seeing in the UK and potentially Australia I want to see a batting line-up that is absolutely packed,” Vaughan said. (PTI)
