Former England captain Nasser Hussain has warned that England should not be underestimated following their thrilling victory against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The Ben Stokes-led side beat India by 28 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.
Ollie Pope was the driving force behind England’s victory, scoring a remarkable 196 in difficult conditions in the second innings. Left-arm spinner Tom Hartley was another strong performer, taking nine wickets in the contest. After dominating the tournament for the first two days, the hosts fell behind as the Englishmen battled their way back into the game and secured a remarkable victory.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Nasser Hussain praised England’s tenacity, claiming that they have demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with in any condition and feels that the England team management would back their player irrespective of their performance in Test Cricket.
“What I like about them is their stubbornness. If you doubt them, they’ll double down on it and go even more stubborn. The present regime knows what they wants. They’re going to stick with that and even when they’re behind, they will back the cricketers to turn it around. They have shown they are a side not to be messed with,” Nasser Hussain said.
The win gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series. Defending 230, the Ben Stokes-led side dismissed India for 202 in the fourth innings. Debutante Tom Hartley shone with the ball, returning figures of 7/62.
England Have Shown Bazball Can Work In These Conditions – Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain believes India might have scored more runs in the first innings since hitters were well-settled to score big runs, and he added that this was a wake-up call for India, stating that England had proved that Bazball can function in such conditions.
“India will probably rue their first innings. They got 436 but actually, they could have got a lot more if not for some sloppy dismissals. They will come back. They are a very fine side and history tells you it will be tough for England here. But it is a wake-up call for India as England have shown Bazball can work in these conditions,” Nasser Hussain added.
England had 14 victories and four defeats in 19 Tests under Stokes-McCullum. They only drew one, indicating how results-driven their efforts have been. The Men in Blue are one of the most powerful teams at home, and they have not lost a Test series in the subcontinent in almost a decade. The Indian squad would be eager to win the remaining games to win the series at home after a tough defeat in the first test.
