Michael Vaughan predicts England will destroy Australia in the absence of Pat Cummins in the Ashes

Michael Vaughan has picked England as favorites for the upcoming Ashes match against Australia, due to Pat Cummins missing the first few matches.

The former England captain has questioned whether he will be fit in time for the second Test in Brisbane as well, because as of now, Cummins is likely to miss only the first Test on the Ashes tour.

“If you have a stress fracture and are not able to run on November 21 in Perth, how will you be fit for the second Test starting on December 5? A stress fracture requires careful management. As much as the Ashes are concerned, and the temptation to rush it back will be great, Cummins must realize there is another series to come,” Vaughan comments on Cummins’ questionable condition for the second Test as well.

“With the news of Pat Cummins’ injury spreading, one or two people will think England are now favorites this winter” – Michael Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels that just as they won the Ashes back in 2010-11, they might win it this time too, given that most of the Australians will be playing without their veteran skipper Pat Cummins. It further articulated the reasons why Australia is so vulnerable at home.

“When you look at 2010-11, England’s only win in Australia in my reign, some breaks went our way. Australia weren’t sure what their best XI was, they didn’t properly transition away from the great side of the early 2000s, and they lost a standout player, Ryan Harris, to injury.”

The Australian skipper will miss the opening Test in Perth due to a back injury. He added: “With the news of Pat Cummins’ injury spreading, one or two people will think that England are favorites now this winter. I would not argue against that right at this moment, but I would also say be very careful.”

The absence of Pat Cummins will weaken the Australian batting department

Pat Cummins, the captain, not only dominates the ball, but also holds an impressive record with the willow in hand. The Australian skipper has boasted an impressive recent record with the bat and has often contributed to securing victories for the Australians.

He noted that his absence will weaken the batting department as well. “But it is the balance he brings to the team that is difficult to replace. Scott Boland is a very good bowler, but if Cummins is not available, Australia will suddenly be saddled with a very long tail: Mitchell Starc, Boland, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon.”

“Alex Carey is a good bowler at number seven, but when he looks back and sees Starc at number eight, wow, this batting order is light,” he wrote, claiming that the Australian batting order would lack depth, while England are often known to have bowlers who can bat to No. 10th place, as seen recently in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

“Over the last few Ashes series, especially in Australia, their tail end has had a huge impact in the series. England have struggled to eliminate them. But now, you’d think getting 20 wickets looks a little easier for England, especially with Australia’s top three looking weak as well,” he added.

Vaughan pays tribute to Australian captain Steve Smith

With Australia having an unstable opening duo and Cameron Green flashing above his form, the Australians will have to rely heavily on their bowling line-up. They will also look to mount a challenge against the English with their array of experienced spinners.

However, Australia have a huge advantage over England in terms of spin. “They have a world-class spinner in Lyon and good support in Matthew Cooneman, the left-arm spinner. Will we see Australia looking for spinners later in the series because it may take a few Tests to realize that this is the best way to beat this England team? The one thing I wouldn’t rule out later in the series from Adelaide onwards is the spin element,” he said.

He also praised Steve Smith’s experience and position as captain of the Australian national team. “Tactically, Steve Smith is a fantastic captain, and he will lead Australia well in Cummins’ absence. A lot of Australia’s ideas stem from Smith at the slip cordon anyway. He’s always ahead of the game and England will see that his record as a batsman when he’s captain is great – his batting average is 68,” he said.

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