mvaughan

[b]It's the second day and England are already out of sight but in a rain shortened Test do the home side have the time to win? Michael Vaughan has an idea.[/b] Betfair customers may make the draw odds-on at 1.47 but I am a confident backer in a fourth and final win for England to round off a Test series they have dominated. And I see it all happening in classic Test style on the final afternoon of the fifth day at The Oval. For me, the second day has been a microcosm of the series. England have been positive, while India have disappointed. Centurions [b]Ian Bell[/b] and, in particular,[b] Kevin Pietersen[/b] have been exceptional. They have concentrated and played in the bubble, doing what they have to do, with Pietersen getting the team going by playing quick and forcing...

There were four obvious candidates for the man-of-the-match award at Lord's in the form of Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Matt Prior. I don't think anyone can argue with KP getting it after a double-century in tricky conditions but with an aggregate of 174 runs across the two innings plus five catches, one could have made a really good case for Prior. Especially when we recall that England were in total disarray when the Sussex man came to the crease. His brilliant century turned the game around and meant India were never in with a chance of chasing a score of over 400. How do we define Prior's role within the team? He's an all-rounder. When it comes to wicket-keepers I define them as that if I feel they're capable of batting somewhere in the top five. As it happens...

[b]England are the value ahead of the Fourth Test at the MCG but the form of Mike Hussey is a concern for would-be backers of the tourists. Either way, a draw is highly unlikely, says Michael Vaughan.[/b] So it's all square again with two to play. The bad news for England fans is that Australia are the ones carrying the momentum, the good news is that this pitch should suit England a lot more than what they were up against at Perth. I haven't actually seen the pitch yet but I'd expect it to have a little bit of grass on it early on and for it to flatten out a bit as the match progresses. It's very unlikely the ball will swing like it did last time or carry through with the same amount of pace and that should mean [b]Mitchell Johnson[/b] shouldn't be able to have the same sort of...