Michael Vaughan blasts England's batting approach vs NZ; makes HUGE Ashes prediction

Former skipper Michael Vaughan has lashed out at England team for their lackluster batting approach in the series-deciding second Test match that is currently underway at Edgbaston in Birmingham. 

Even though England still have a lead of 37 runs, they only have one wicket in hand after suffering a dramatic second innings batting collapse on Day 3.

After this Test match, England will have over a month's break from red-ball cricket before coming back to face Team India in a five-match Test series that gets underway on August 4. In fact, those five games will be the last series before the Ashes series.

Michael Vaughan slams England's batting approach

Meanwhile, Michael Vaughan has opined that Joe Root & Co. must do something in the remaining five Tests as they cannot afford to land in Australia later this year with such a 'fragile' batting line-up.

"They now have just five chances to sort the batting out before the Ashes. They can't arrive in Australia with a batting line-up this fragile - they'd have no chance", said Michael Vaughan while speaking on BBC Test Match Special.

"England have tinkered too much. Everything has gone downhill for England since they went up 1-0 in India. Don't muck about with Test cricket. England aren't a good enough team to muck about", the cricketer-turned-cricket pundit added.

"This batting line-up is fragile and we have to now start looking at players and wondering if they are good enough because they keep getting out cheaply," the 2005 Ashes-winning skipper further added.

England batting collapse

Coming back to the Edgbaston Test, New Zealand in their first innings were bowled out for 322 in response to England's first innings score of 303.  The hosts in reply ran out of fire & brimstone right from the beginning and kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and it seemed that the formalities would be completed on Day 3 itself when the scorecard read 76/7. However, lower-order contributions from Ollie Stone (15*), and, Mark Wood (29) helped Root & Co. get past the 100-run mark before the latter was dismissed and number 10 batsman Stuart Broad was castled in the very next over by Trent Boult.

England now have a huge mountain to climb on Day 4 with just Ollie Stone being the last recognised batsman. He will be joined by the number 11 batsman James Anderson. It has been a sorry-looking scorecard for England and they resume the fourth day's play at 122/9.