 "Former England captain Nasser Hussain. Image: X")
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has, once again, spoken about the need for the current Test side to translate their exciting brand of cricket into tangible results if they want to recognised amongst the world’s best. While he praised England’s aggressive style of play, he said that the recent spate of results have fallen short of expectations.
The side made an impressive start with 10 wins in their first 11 Tests under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes since mid-2022. However, they have only managed to secure victory in four of their subsequent 11 red-ball matches. This includes a drawn Ashes series at home and now trailing India 1-3 in the ongoing series.
Writing for Daily Mail, Hussain said,“For all the good things that this England team have done, right now they sit second bottom in the World Test Championship table and results remain the most important currency. In the end, all sports teams are judged on their statistics. How they end up at the end of a season or a series. In cricket, how many runs you scored, the wickets you took.”
The Stokes-McCullum combination has led England to 14 wins in their last 22 Tests, but they still find themselves in the second-last position on the 2023-25 World Test Championship points table . For all the hoopla around their attacking brand of exciting cricket, England are 1-3 down in the series and is very similar to the last time they toured the country.
Hussain spoke about the importance of England salvaging a 3-2 scoreline against India in Dharamsala since a competitive showing across all matches could justify their efforts.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“Come home with a 4-1 defeat, though, and the gulf between the sides looks huge. Inevitably, it will feel like the same old story for England in India,” he concluded.
The final match of the series will be played in Dharamsala - and England would find the conditions very similar to what they encounter back home. Unlike many Indian venues, Dharamsala does have a fast and bouncy pitch. And this strip also maintains its quality that is favourable to fast bowlers - another important factor that could come into the equation.