Nasser Hussain Blasts English Bowlers For Going Horribly Wrong Against Pakistan Post-Lunch In The Ongoing Test

England and Pakistan are currently battling it out in the first of the three Tests in Manchester. With rain interrupting Pakistan’s charge, former English captain Nasser Hussain has expressed his unhappiness over his countrymen’s bowling performance after lunch. The tourists reached at 121-2 with Babar Azam rapidly racing along and Shan Masood holding the fort with his composure, adding 68 runs without losing a wicket after lunch.

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It was Jofra Archer, who gave England their first breakthrough in the 16th over by dismissing Abid Ali. The visiting captain Azhar Ali departed for a duck soon after to Woakes. Ali and Masood successfully survived England’s elite new-ball bowling pair of James Anderson and Stuart Broad despite some close shaves. Masood has become the victim of Anderson six times so far in Tests while Abid Ali was in his first tour of England. Pakistan elected to bat first as England stuck with the same line-up that decimated the West Indies by 269 runs in the third Test.

Nasser Hussain candidly told Sky Sports that England’s bowlers were ‘rubbish’. Hussain termed the bowling attack comprising of Jofra Archer, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad brilliant and performed well everywhere. However, he mentioned they were well short of their abilities here. Woakes is England’s best bowler so far with figures of 8-1-14-1.

“No, they were rubbish,” he said. “They were absolutely rubbish, to be honest. You can’t say that about this England bowling attack for a long time. South Africa they were brilliant, West Indies they were brilliant, and you’re talking about [Stuart] Broad, [James] Anderson, [Jofra] Archer, [Chris] Woakes, I’m thinking that’s one of England’s greatest ever attacks and they bowled absolutely pants there,” the Chennai-born stated.

Nasser Hussain further said that Babar Azam, who struggled before lunch, looked in full-flow after that. The 53-year old criticised the English bowlers for bowling to his strengths that helped him break from his shackles. He underlined that the rain came at the correct time since they got it all wrong that hour.

“You’ve got a bloke in Babar Azam who’s their gun player who’s struggling before lunch who’s getting all squared up. That is when you go hard at him. You don’t run up and bowl little leg stump clip ball, four, leg stump clip ball, four, full toss, four, off-spinner comes in, full toss, four. That was poor. That rain came at the right time for England because they got that horribly wrong in that hour,” Nasser Hussain asserted.

“Bowlers aren’t machines” : Nasser Hussain

The 96-Test veteran added by conceding that the bowlers are not machines and while he believes Joe Root is a calm man, he needs to motivate the hosts to do better. Pakistan have not won a Test series in England since 1996 while they drew their last two rubbers here.

“Bowlers aren’t machines. They get it wrong and they’ll go in there and regroup and Joe Root’s a very calm individual but I’d be surprised if he’s sitting there going, ‘Never mind, we’ll have a cup a tea and a biscuit and go again.’ He’ll be going ‘We’re better than that. We’re a lot better than that,” he added.

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