In a series that was highlighted by the battle between the two pace departments, it was ultimately the all round skills and spin of Moeen Ali which turned out to be the difference.
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For the spin bowling all rounder, this by far remains his biggest success from a personal front, having scored over 250 runs and taken 25 wickets in four Tests. As a matter of fact, Ali’s all round aggregate of the above-mentioned numbers stands out as a record in a series comprising of four Tests.
Thus, it wasn’t surprising when former England skipper Nasser Hussain termed Ali as the number one player of this side. According to Hussain, Ali was instrumental in creating a visible difference between the two sides, with his priceless runs lower down the order and tight bowling, which kept the Proteas strangled down.
“He is a very influential cricketer, in so many ways, on and off the field,” said Hussain. “He has become a very popular member of that team.”He is so versatile; he will play any role, any position with the bat, and will bowl whenever you want.”He started the series with 10 wickets at Lord’s – English spinners don’t do that. He then got a hat-trick at The Oval, got second-innings runs last night and finished the innings off today.”
Adding that the England think tank made a great move by roping in an extra batsman for the last couple of Tests, Hussain said,
“In that 10-day gap between the second and third Test, the selectors got it right, they found the right balance to the side .” “They picked the extra batsman, had one less bowler and made Ali their No 1 spinner. He’s their No 1 cricketer at the moment, arguably.”
Hussain however, was critical about the poor form of opener Keaton Jennings and admitted that the South Africa born southpaw could be overlooked for the upcoming series against the West Indies and with the Ashes later this year in mind.
“The selectors have to be very clear that the side they choose against West Indies will be the one they want for the first Ashes Test,” Hussain said. “For that reason, I think they should drop Keaton Jennings. He needs to go back to county cricket and rediscover the rhythm of batting, which you can lose sometimes at Test level.”
“Mark Stoneman has looked a decent player whenever I’ve seen him for Durham and Surrey, but I’ve also enjoyed what I’ve seen of Middlesex’s Nick Gubbins. “He looks good off the back foot and plays the ball above his waist well. To me, he looks very organised.‘The selectors have to be smart: You’re looking to fill key positions at the Gabba, not take relatively easy runs off West Indies.”
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