Michael Vaughan's unnecessary ‘rage bait’ for India fans during Australia tour: ‘Don’t tell they are bigger than Ashes'

Vaughan, known for his outspoken views on social media, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his opinion on the buildup to the upcoming Ashes, remarking that while recent India-Australia clashes have been fiercely competitive, they still don’t compare to cricket’s oldest rivalry.

“No question the India v Aussie series of late down under have been more competitive .. but don’t tell they are bigger than an Ashes .. the build up down in Oz for this Ashes is absolutely huge .. you don’t that for an IND v Oz series ..” Vaughan tweeted.

The post quickly triggered reactions from fans across both nations, with many Indians calling his comment “unnecessary”. The rivalry between India and Australia has grown immensely in recent years, especially after India’s historic back-to-back Test series wins on Australian soil in 2018–19 and 2020–21, both marked by intense competitiveness and drama.

Meanwhile, Australia are preparing for the Ashes opener in Perth without regular skipper Pat Cummins, who is recovering from a lower-back injury. Steve Smith will lead the side in his absence, with Cummins aiming to return for the second Test starting December 4. “That's the aim and we're building our plan to the second Test. It's probably not until you get a bit closer that you can really know where you're at,” Cummins told cricket.com.au on Thursday after bowling eight pain-free overs in training.

Marnus Labuschagne has returned to the squad for the first Test, while Jake Weatherald has been picked over Sam Konstas. Australia will look to extend their home dominance, having won the last two Ashes series on home soil 4–0 and infamously whitewashed England 5–0 in 2013–14. England, on the other hand, have not won a single Test in Australia since their 3–1 triumph in the 2010–11 series under Andrew Strauss, where Alastair Cook scored 766 runs in five Tests. The last Ashes was played in England in 2023, which ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

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