Root angry at Vaughan criticism

Joe Root has taken issue with former England captain Michael Vaughan’s claim that his team failed to respect Test cricket on their way to a 340-run defeat against South Africa at Trent Bridge.

Vaughan voiced his stinging criticism of Root’s men after they had lost their last seven first-innings wickets for 62 runs to be bowled out in little more than 50 overs.

Root’s counter-attacking style briefly paid dividends in his innings of 78 from just 76 balls, but Vaughan suggested England did themselves few favours by adopting a “Twenty20” tempo which backfired.

“The England batting has been appalling,” he said on the BBC’s Test Match Special.

“Maybe it’s a lack of respect about what the game is.

“They look like they are playing a Twenty20 game. They have this approach of attack, attack, attack. There is no thought or feeling of seeing off a bowler or wearing a team down.”

Root took umbrage at the remarks of his longtime friend and mentor.

“I think that’s very unfair - I can’t believe he’s actually said that,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on winning series like this, and unfortunately we’ve played poorly this week.

“We need to make sure we learn quickly ... (so that) if we are in a similar situation (in the third Test) at The Oval, for example, we play it slightly smarter.”