If There Are Two Players Who Can Do The Job For England, It's Ben Stokes And Joe Root - Mike Hussey

Former Australian batsman Mike Hussey believes that England skipper Joe Root and Ben Stokes are the last hope for the visitors in the ongoing Test match.

England did manage to bowl out Australia relatively cheaply by conceding a lead of just 82 runs. However, the visitors lost four wickets in their second innings already for just 31 runs and the Aussies are on the brink of regaining the Ashes. Speaking in Cricbuzz Chatter, here is what Hussey had to say:

“If there are two players who can do the job for England, it’s Ben Stokes and Joe Root. But I think it’s the last hope. The Australians will be cock-a-hoop tonight. They would be so happy the way the last hour panned out.”

Hussey added:

“I know what the Aussie camp will be saying overnight. They’ll be saying, ‘We need to be patient and disciplined and have to bowl enough in the right areas to create a chance or two.'”

You cannot write England off: Mike Hussey

Mike Hussey has warned the Aussies to not take England lightly despite the visitors having lost four wickets. Hussey believes the formidable pairing of Joe Root and Ben Stokes still have the capability to take England out of this deep hole. In this regard, he said:

“It’s going to be extremely difficult for England, they’re going to need luck. But they are two world-class players (Stokes and Root). You cannot write them off. I guess for their sake they’re gonna find a way to get through the first hour.”

Hussey believes a target of 150 and above will be tricky for the Australians on the challenging MCG wicket. He added:

“They have to try to rotate strike and frustrate Australia as much as possible. As the ball gets a little bit older, then take the opportunity to score. I think they need at least 150 to put some pressure on Australians.”

Also Read: Ashes 2021-22: The Biggest Concern For England Was Mixture Of Poor Technique: Nasser Hussain