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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

England slammed for "not being able to handle the pressure" with the bat for a long time

England have been told they "haven't been able to handle the pressure with the bat for a long time" after their middle order collapsed on day five of the fourth Test against India.

Joe Root's side started the day dreaming of a potential record run chase and their openers did set up a decent platform, with Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed sharing a 100-run partnership.

However, after Burns fell to Shardul Thakur, England collapsed from 100-0 to 210 all out as India completed a remarkable victory to go 2-1 up in the series.

Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan said: "The old Test deficiencies came to roost this week - the catching, we've said it for a long time but the catching isn't good enough.

England collapsed from 100-0 to 210 all out as they were beaten by 157 runs in the fourth Test by India (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

"The bowling, unless it is swinging and seaming, four bowlers around the 80mph - they are as good as any when it is moving - but in the second innings they looked a gallop short.

"With the bat the 290 was too light and in the second innings when they put under a huge amount of pressure they came short.

"They haven't been able to handle the pressure with the bat for a long time."

Vaughan also slammed England for struggling to cope when the pitch "became a Test wicket that you get overseas".

He added: "It has been a tremendous Test match. It is a fantastic Test victory for India. They have been questioned, particularly on day one and they came back on day two with the ball.

"England's 290 in the first innings felt so light. India batted beautifully in the second innings. Today's bowling performance was as good as a fourth-innings bowling display as we've seen for a long, long time. It was high class.

Former captain Michael Vaughan was critical of England's batting (Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

"For a day and a half this was an England Test match wicket, where it moved around a bit, and England competed.

"As soon as it became a Test wicket that you get overseas - no swing, no seam, a little bit of spin, you needed some pace and variation and batters to bat a long time - as soon as it became that kind of wicket England have been very poor."

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