IND vs ENG 2021: Michael Vaughan suggests three changes for England at Lord's

The first Test between India and England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, ended in a disappointing draw for the visitors. India were on the brink of taking an early lead in the series before the final day was washed out due to rain.

The contingents now move to Lord's for the second Test, which is set to begin on Thursday (August 12). All eyes remain on England's selection headaches for the rest of the tour.

England's batting order has come under intense scrutiny as they often tend to bank on skipper Joe Root to dig them out of a hole, as was the case in the first Test. England coach Chris Silverwood has also been vocal about the likes of Haseeb Hameed getting a chance, with players like Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence struggling to find their form.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan penned his thoughts on the current selection dilemma, suggesting three changes he would make to the side. In his piece for the Telegraph, Vaughan suggested Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence needed to be dropped.

Here's what he had to say about the three players named:

"I will start with Dan Lawrence. He needs to find a method for getting in for 25 balls. Every single Test innings he has played, even when he has scored runs, the first 25 balls have been chaotic. Lawrence looks to me like he will come back again. He has a bit of flair that I like but he just needs to work on making sure he is a bit more solid, stops falling over to the off side and is not as flamboyant early on to give himself a chance. He has had four noughts this year which is too much for a Test batter."

"I think Zak Crawley has the best chance of a good Test career. I have a huge amount of faith he will come good but his technique is just a little bit all over the place. His bat is coming across the line of the ball. It is not going towards the ball. The ball he snicked in the second innings should not have happened. He has been nicking balls on fourth stump too much recently which means he is not aligning to the ball properly," added Vaughan.

While Vaughan believes Crawley and Lawrence need some work on their technique before they can make a return to the side, he wasn't too pleased with the prospects of Dominic Sibley.

My thoughts on what England’s batting line up should look like for Lords … https://t.co/02t27j1qKO @TelegraphSport #ENGvsIND

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 9, 2021

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He looks to me like he has hit his ceiling: Michael Vaughan on England opener Dom Sibley

Dom Sibley during the first Test between England and India

England opener Dom Sibley has consistently divided opinions during his stint in Test cricket. While he's regarded by some as an old-school batter who can stay at the crease for a number of hours and blunt the new ball, his slow scoring rate is a cause for concern.

Michael Vaughan wrote:

"We know he (Sibley) can wear down opposing players but he relies on Root scoring quickly at the other end. My worry with Sibley is that he will build up too much pressure on flat pitches when the ball is not doing anything because he cannot score runs. Opposition players like bowling to him because they know he is not going to hurt them."

He added that he would give Haseeb Hameed a chance in place of Sibley, get Dawid Malan to bat at three ahead of Crawley and bring in Ollie Pope at six for Lawrence. Vaughan suggested that the top seven that he has named has a good mix. There is youth in the form of Hameed and Pope but also plenty of senior players including the likes of Root, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler.

Making changes when there is time rather than after they have lost is precisely the template England might look to follow.

Hameed and Crawley are not that different, really. Neither are Hameed and Sibley. The question for England's selectors is not cultural, tactical, or anything deeper - it's down to whether or not they think Hameed is a better batsman than anyone in the current top three. #ENGvIND https://t.co/Y2nlbpviin

— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) August 9, 2021