“Don’t want to be another Nasser Hussain”: Ben Stokes reveals England’s toss decision for Adelaide Test

Ben Stokes added a touch of humour ahead of the third Ashes Test by poking fun at former England captain Nasser Hussain over the toss. The England skipper made it clear that if luck goes his way at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, December 17, he will take a different approach than Hussain once did.

Hussain decided to bowl first at the Gabba in 2002, and it turned into a nightmare for England as Australia scored 362-2 at stumps. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting scored centuries as the hosts recorded a 384-run victory. Notably, England have bowled first in 14 of 24 Tests when winning the toss under Brendon McCullum.

Don’t Want to Be Another Nasser Hussain - Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes hinted that England will choose to bat if they win the toss in the third Test at Adelaide. With extreme heat expected over the opening days, the England captain said that he has no intention of repeating Nasser Hussain’s decision.

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"It's going to be pretty hot day one and two, I'm pretty sure I've become a meme or GIF at some point in my career. I don't want to be another Nasser Hussain," Ben Stokes told reporters.

“If anything, it actually makes everything a little bit more simple and a little bit more clear for us. I have got full backing that we can do this,” he added.

Disappointing for Shoaib Bashir to Not Get the Opportunity - Ben Stokes

England have again left out young spinner Shoaib Bashir for the third Test. Ben Stokes said that the decision was made due to the team’s difficult position in the series. The captain admitted the situation has forced the management to rethink their plans.

Stokes said that the focus is now firmly on winning matches, even if it means making hard selection calls. He added that England will continue to take tough decisions if they believe it gives the team the best chance to stay alive in the series.

"It's obviously disappointing for Bash to not get the opportunity later in the series where he thought he was going to. We didn't think we'd be in a situation at 2-0 down after two (tests) and having to win the (next) three," he said.

"So we've had to make tough decisions before the series and we will continue to make tough decisions if we feel like that's going to give us the best chance to win a game."

Josh Tongue Replaces Gus Atkinson in England XI for Adelaide Test

In the ongoing series, England are trailing 2-0 and must win the upcoming third Test in Adelaide to stay in the series. Ahead of the Adelaide clash, England have made just one change to their playing XI after the eight-wicket defeat in Brisbane. Fast bowler Josh Tongue has replaced Gus Atkinson.

Atkinson took three wickets in the opening two matches. Tongue took just two wickets against the England Lions and none against the Prime Minister’s XI. However, he was England’s second-highest wicket-taker in the home series against India, claiming 19 wickets in six innings at an average of 29.05.

Overall, Tongue has 31 wickets in six Tests at an average of 30, and he also made an impact in his only previous Ashes appearance at Lord’s in 2023, where he picked up five wickets.

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