Former England captain Michael Vaughan has heavily criticized the Ollie Pope-led team for their over-aggressive tactics during the third Test against Sri Lanka, which resulted in an unexpected eight-wicket defeat at the Oval. Vaughan accused the English side of disrespecting both Test cricket and their opponents, noting that their approach was marked by complacency after previous successes in the series. England's batting collapsed from 261 for 3 to 325 all out, and Vaughan emphasized that such an approach would not hold up against stronger teams like India and Australia in the future. Despite the loss, Pope dismissed claims of complacency, stating it was simply 'one of those days' where their performance did not meet expectations. Vaughan's critique included a warning to the team about the potential consequences of their current mindset and approach in upcoming matches. The defeat marked England's only loss in an otherwise successful home Test season, underscoring the importance of maintaining respect for the game.