Former Australia cricketer Darren Lehmann and former England skipper Michael Vaughan were involved in a funny banter on a social media platform. Michael Vaughan stated that young England batter Harry Brook is better than Australian cricketer Travis Head, given his recent impressive performances.
Michael Vaughan revealed his best combined Ashes 2025 playing XI during the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 at The Gabba. Vaughan’s selection raised eyebrows as he included Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook over players like Steve Smith and Travis Head, which sparked discussions.
Have You Watched the Last Two Tests? – Darren Lehmann
Darren Lehmann questioned Michael Vaughan’s omission of Travis Head from the combined Ashes 2025 XI. He reminded Vaughan of Head’s performance during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Lehmann sarcastically asked if Vaughan had watched the last two Tests against India.
“No , Travis head 🤷♂️what are you on @MichaelVaughan. Have you watched the last two test ? Obviously not @abcsport,” Lehmann wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter).
No , Travis head 🤷♂️what are you on @MichaelVaughan . Have you watched the last two test ? Obviously not @abcsport https://t.co/NAlCuNoUI0
— Darren Lehmann (@darren_lehmann) December 18, 2024
Harry Brook… No 1 Player in the World – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan responded to Darren Lehmann’s criticism and defended his selection of Harry Brook in the combined Ashes 2025 XI. Vaughan highlighted Brook’s performances, including his impressive form in New Zealand and a triple century in Pakistan.
“H brook .. No 1 player in the World .. did you not watch the first 2 Tests in NZ … oh and the Triple in Pakistan .. 😜😜😜,” Vaughan replied.
H brook .. No 1 player in the World .. did you not watch the first 2 Tests in NZ … oh and the Triple in Pakistan .. 😜😜😜 https://t.co/0yJ8YAlCaA
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 18, 2024
Michael Vaughan’s Combined XI for Ashes 2025: Ben Duckett, Usman Khawaja, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
Travis Head and Harry Brook’s Recent Performances in Test Cricket
Travis Head started the five-match series with a disappointing performance in the first innings of the Perth Test. However, he scored 89 runs in the second inning. The left-handed batter then hit a match-winning century in the Adelaide Test, scoring 140 runs off 141 balls to help Australia secure a 10-wicket win.
The middle-order batter continued his form in the Gabba Test match. Head scored 152 runs off 160 balls, including 18 fours in the first innings. The match ended in a draw due to bad weather in Brisbane. He scored 409 runs in the first three Tests at an outstanding average of 81.80 and a strike rate of 94.24.
Harry Brook had an outstanding performance in the early part of the series, scoring 171, 123, and 55 in his first three innings as England took a 2-0 lead. However, he was dismissed for 0 and 1 in the final match, which New Zealand won the match. Brook is currently ranked No. 2 batter in the latest ICC Test rankings.
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