Last Update on: December 11th, 2021 at 05:09 pm
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Former England captain Nasser Hussain has mentioned that England’s Test team are facing batting collapses for a very long time.
England lost the Ashes 2021-22 opening match against Australia by 9 wickets at the Gabba, Brisbane and one of the major reasons behind the loss was the batting collapse they faced in both innings.
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In the first innings, England was bundled out at 147 and in the second innings, England’s overnight score was 220 and on the next day they were bowled out at 297 and Australia got the target of just 20 runs to chase.
Speaking with Sky Sports former England captain Nasser Hussain said that the bowling of the England Test team has carried the team in the last few years.
“England fans, however much our bowling carries us over the years, will know over the last two or three years that the batting has disappointed and these collapses have happened, It does seem to me that England’s batting line-up struggles to start the next day.
“It (Australia’s) is a wonderful bowling attack, make no mistake. They have five genuine bowlers. It is not easy against this attack. This game was not lost today, this game was lost with the dropped catches and the fielding and most importantly 147 all out on day one,” Hussain said.
Hussain further highlighted how Joe Root has carried the weight of England’s batting unit over the years and he has got very little support from the other end.
“England have had batting collapses for a long, long time now. (Joe) Root has been their star player for a number of years now. I think this year he is the only one to average over 40.
“I think Root and (Dawid) Malan are the only ones averaging over 30, I think Root and (Rory) Burns are the only ones with Test hundreds. That is not good enough, that is not going to win you that many Test matches,” he added.
Ben Stokes Is Someone Who Needs Rhythm To Batting – Nasser Hussain
Hussain also backed star all-rounder Ben Stokes to do well in the second Test against Australia and he wanted Stokes to find rhythm in his batting.
“Stokes always takes time when he has had a long spell out of the side – and he has. He is someone who needs rhythm to batting You are always better players when you are out of the side. I noticed the England Lions were bowled out for a hundred the other day.
“So the reserve batting line-up aren’t exactly kicking on with massive runs. There is a problem with red-ball batting in general in England at the moment. Australia is not a bad place to bat even with their bowling attack,” Nasser Hussain elaborated.
Nasser Hussain further added that England will have to make tough choices regarding the bowling changes in the team for the pink-ball Test match in Adelaide which will begin from December 16.
“I think the key is not to look back too much. Focus in on the next one, work out what you are doing with that bowling attack and the seam attack in particular. Because it is not easy, people will say bring (Stuart) Broad and (James) Anderson in.
“But the bowlers that have been bowling have now got overs in their legs. So they are the best ones physically to go and play the next one. Broad and Anderson haven’t bowled in anger in a match for months now and their ageing bodies, can you get them both in? I’d go with Anderson for the swing,” he further added.
Jack Leach who has faced heavy criticism for his expensive spells in Gabba Test has been backed by Nasser Hussain, as Hussain feels that in the pink-ball Test game spinners are needed.
“And then what do they do with (Jack) Leach? All this talk about pink ball in Adelaide. Yes under lights it can swing but the rest of the day it can be pretty flat and it can spin. So you might need your spinner. Psychologically is the key now for England.
“Some fans will be thinking ‘here we go again, we are going to lose 5-0’. We have lost 10 of our last 11 games in Australia with the other one being a draw. We cannot have England thinking ‘here we go again,’” he asserted.
Nasser Hussain concluded that England have to be positive in the second Test as it is their best chance to make a comeback.
“They are going to Adelaide, pink-ball Test and it is their best chance to get back into the series. Be positive and think ‘we can get back into the series,” he stated.
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