Australia vs England: Michael Vaughan surprised with Stuart Broad’s omission from Boxing Day Test

England, who are lagging 0-2 in the five-match series, left out Broad along with three others for the Boxing Day Test, which began at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday (December 26).

“I look at someone like Stuart Broad, in Brisbane, he wasn’t selected on that green top there, he’s not selected here,” Vaughan, who led England to 26 wins in 51 Tests, including the 2005 Ashes, said on Fox Cricket.

“How England have not seen Stuart Broad, with all his experience, such a wonderful Test career, is not going to be bowling a ball on a green top in Brisbane and now not here in Melbourne, that’s staggering really.

“So far the only thing they’ve done right on the trip is turn up on time. They’ve got pretty much everything wrong – selection, tactics have not quite been right. “Stuart Broad should be playing here (in Melbourne), he should’ve played in Brisbane. How Stuart Broad is not going to be bowling around the wicket to David Warner on a green top, I just can’t fathom that with the quality that he brings.”

Spin legend Shane Warne also echoed his voice. “England looks a better-balanced side – but I would have played @StuartBroad8 instead of Robinson & Pope looks a good player to me, but Bairstow had to play,” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

England meanwhile had a disastrous start with the bat after the Joe Root-led side was put in to bat first by Aussie captain Pat Cummins. Captain Root’s fifty was the lone bright spot in a rather disappointing batting effort at the iconic MCG. England’s top-order failed to pose any challenge to the formidable Australian pace attack.

(With PTI inputs)