"Knock it on the head at 6.30 pm" - Former England captain's interesting suggestion to avoid time wasting amid ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has come up with an interesting suggestion amid accusations of time wasting by both teams in the ongoing Test series against India. The 50-year-old stated that he never understood the rationale for necessarily completing the full quota of 90 overs on Day 5 and not having the mandate on other days.

Over-rates have come massively under the scanner in the ongoing five-Test series as players have been accused of taking undue breaks for drinks, changing balls and equipment. England, notably, copped a fine and have been docked two World Test Championship (WTC) points for maintaining slow over-rate during the Lord's Test.

In his column for The Telegraph about the topic, Vaughan wrote:

"I have really never understood why we bowl 90 overs on day five, going as late as we need to get the overs in, but just knock it on the head at 6.30pm on the other days."

The 2005-Ashes winning captain feels Zak Crawley wouldn't have wasted time at the end of Day 3 had there been time constraints.

"I think if the players knew that we had to bowl 90 overs, regardless of the time it finishes, that would focus their minds. It was great theatre watching Zak Crawley chew up minutes at Lord’s knowing they were finishing at 6.30, but it wouldn’t have even been on the cards if everyone involved knew they were carrying on regardless of the time. England would have had to front up and face the music."

Crawley and Shubman Gill had a heated exchange after the former took considerable time to face an over from pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Gill dished out some expletives to Crawley, but the tourists could get only one over to bowl.

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"The players don’t want to be finishing at 7.45 pm" - Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan. (Image Credits: Getty)

Vaughan feels even the players don't want their days to end late and that unnecessary breaks will help everyone.

"The players don’t want to be finishing at 7.45pm. They want to be out of the ground and resting up long before then. I think that would help us see fewer unofficial drinks breaks, bathroom stops and the rest. It would be in the umpires’ interests to get it done too."

He continued:

"It would probably mean play does finish a bit later, but I can’t see anyone not wanting that. Broadcasters and punters get more content and value overall. It’s quite simple: you have to bowl 90 overs in a day regardless of the time."

England won the thrilling Lord's Test by 22 runs. The fourth match of the series will take place in Manchester, beginning on July 23.

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Edited by Srinjoy Sanyal