Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain has lambasted the England selectors and team management for their team selection against India in the ongoing first test in Hyderabad. The Ben Stokes-led side opted to go with three spinners and Mark Wood as the lone pacer for the first game, leaving out experienced James Anderson.
England made a bold decision by selecting a single pacer, Mark Wood, in their starting XI for the first Test, expecting a rank turner. The visitors picked three frontline spinners: Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, and Tom Hartley. However, it didn’t quite work out for Ben Stokes and co. as India posted a massive total of 436 runs in the first innings.
Speaking on Sky Sports Cricket, former captain Nasser Hussain criticized England’s bowling style and slammed James Anderson’s exclusion from the game. The England legend also praised the experienced pacer’s abilities on the subcontinent, believing that he would have given England complete control.
“I said before the game that I would have played Anderson. I was a bit surprised by the balance of the side because some people are saying three spinners, but with Root, we actually have four spinners, and one seamer. So I was a little bit surprised. I understood why they had done it. Firstly, they have seen a bare pitch that’s gonna turn,” Nasser Hussain said.
“The history of what they have played in India, pitches have turned recently. So they wanted four spinners or three spinners and Root. Also for the reasons that we have just discussed. We have got Jack Leach, who hasn’t bowled since May-June, because of his stress fractures”
“Anderson’s skills in the sub-continent have been exceptional over the last few years. He gives you control, he bowls those cutters, and he gets reverse swing, You are always a better player when you are outside, Anderson was quite a good player and he is quite a good player when he is inside. He is England’s greatest-ever bowler,” Nasser Hussain added.
James Anderson is well-known for his dominance at home, which suits his swing bowling technique perfectly. Throughout his long career, he has managed to make a name for himself on difficult subcontinent tours. He played a key role in England’s historic series victory in India during the 2012 tour, which remains the Men in Blue’s last red-ball series defeat at home.
The 41-year-old has demonstrated that he can perform in Asian circumstances over the years. The experienced pacer demonstrated exceptional reverse swing bowling during his previous tour of India in 2021, as well as an away series against Pakistan in 2022.
