ENG vs IND: Will England bat for a draw on Day 5 of the Edgbaston Test?

Under the dynamic leadership of Ben Stokes and the aggressive coaching style of Brendon McCullum, England’s Test team has built a formidable reputation for pulling off record-breaking run chases in the fourth innings—earning the nickname 'Bazball' for their fearless, attacking brand of cricket. However, former England captain Michael Vaughan has urged the team to reconsider their usual approach as they head into Day 5 of the second Test against India at Edgbaston. With a near-impossible target of 608 runs to chase in the final innings, Vaughan believes a more cautious and defensive mindset would serve England better in this scenario.

As it stands, England have already lost three wickets for just 72 runs in 16 overs by stumps on Day 4, facing relentless pressure from Indian seamers Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, who have been consistently impressive throughout the Test. Vaughan feels that with the odds stacked against them, England must abandon their high-risk batting philosophy and focus on grinding out a draw. 

“Bazball's going to get asked the ultimate question tomorrow. Are the team and the players going to go completely against what their natural instincts are to do? You've got to get what's best on offer. And what's best on offer at the minute is a draw," stated former England captain Michael Vaughan. 

Michael Vaughan highlighted that under Ben Stokes’ captaincy, England have played 34 Tests, drawing only once—and that too due to rain—while winning 21 and losing 12. He noted that this aggressive approach has certainly brought excitement and results, but cautioned that it may not always work against top-tier teams like India or Australia. Vaughan, now a prominent commentator, stressed that England must evolve their tactics and adopt a more flexible mindset if they wish to succeed consistently in major series. He emphasized that in high-stakes contests, especially on challenging pitches or against world-class bowling attacks, the ability to grind out results and play for a draw when necessary is just as important as chasing wins with flair.

“If you want to win the big series against the likes of India at home in five matches and you want to go to Australia, I think it's impossible to have a mindset that we just win, that's all we go for. We don't play for draws. A draw for England from this position, and I hope they get more in a way of kind of success, if they can get away from here with a draw, it's almost better than last week's win because it's completely against their natural trade," Vaughan added.