With a number of batters out of form, England have limited replacement options within the squad.
England Lions, who are playing a four-day unofficial Test against Australia A elsewhere in Brisbane, conceded a 388-run first-innings lead at the end of Saturday’s day two.
“There is no spare keeper, I think Jamie Smith is a wonderful talent, but he is struggling. Ben Duckett looks scratchy and edgy at the top. Pope is all over the place, once again,” said Vaughan.
“You can’t just keep dipping into Joe Root’s well – ‘go on Joe, go get us another 100’. It is not just possible.
“I worry about this psychological damage of this last two days. Not just for the batters, but particularly the bowlers, who had so much time out there and they just didn’t look like they were going to get wickets.”
BBC chief cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew added: “The fact is that none of these players are being put under any pressure by anybody else in the squad – there is no culpability, there are no ramifications, there’s no question of anybody being dropped.
“Apart from Pope who has Bethell in the wings, but he’s not scoring any runs either. There’s nobody to put pressure on any of these players, so you just go out and bat as you want to play.
“There should be a selection in which these players are being put under pressure, and if you fail time and again doing the same thing, you’re gone, you’re dropped.”
Meanwhile, Australia’s selection issues are to do with where to slot in their returning stars, with captain Pat Cummins passed fit for the third Test, Josh Hazlewood working back towards fitness and Nathan Lyon not selected for this match.
“Let’s just mention this Australian team have got over thousand wickets not playing,” Vaughan said.
“This is their second string.”
