Ashes 2021-22: It Was A Classic 'Good Toss To Lose' - Nasser Hussain Defends Joe Root's Decision To Bat First
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has come to the defence of English Test skipper, Joe Root, after the latter’s decision to bat first in overcast conditions and on a spicy pitch at the Gabba backfired tremendously.
Hussain said that both captains were keen on batting first and Root’s men were, unfortunately, the ones who paid the price for “winning the toss”. Pat Cummins led the way with a fifer and helped restrict the visitors to 147 on Day 1.
“Before we condemn Joe Root for making the wrong decision at the toss it should be remembered that both captains as the coin went up were going to have a bat. It was a classic ‘good toss to lose’ scenario because Root and Cummins would have known history told them they should probably take first knock but, looking down at the pitch, their instinct would have been to bowl. That was the issue,” Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
“As I said before the first Test, Root had to forget about what has happened in the past at the Gabba and do what he felt was right on the day. Sometimes you can complicate these things and I certainly did that all those years ago when I tried to reinvent the wheel at Brisbane by bowling first when conditions demanded I should bat. That turned out to be the wrong decision but 147 all out tells you Root got it wrong by batting this time,” Hussain added.
“Why did both captains want to bat?” – Nasser Hussain elaborates
Considering the batting conditions would be tough under overcast conditions, some would find it surprising that Root opted to bat first. As is typical in Australia, batting gets much easier with time as the sun starts to beat down on the surface. Nasser Hussain explains why Root went for the option to bat anyway.
“Why did both captains want to bat? They were thinking not just about how the pitch looked on the first day but also how it might develop as the game goes on. And they would know that with a soft pitch on day one indentations would be created and it will quicken up as the game goes on.”
“They would have been thinking about what would happen if the sun comes out and, with the humidity in Brisbane, the probability of cracks widening. You have to think of the second innings as well as a captain ahead of a Test. There are so many grey areas,” Hussain further mentioned.
Australia continued their dominance on the game as they reached 113/1 at Lunch on Day 2.
Also Read – Ashes 2021-22: Ian Chappell Says Joe Root Is Not Much Of A Captain, Wants Ben Stokes To Lead England
