Nasser Hussain, the former England captain credited Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for the Test team’s ‘remarkable transformation’. Nasser Hussain’s comments came following England’s memorable five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second Test in Nottingham on June 14.
England chased down 299 on day five of the second Test with ridiculous ease as Jonny Bairstow clobbered a 92-ball 136. New Zealand set 299 for England in a minimum of 72 overs; however, the hosts took only 50 overs to achieve it. Jonny Bairstow also deservedly earned the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Nasser Hussain Praised Ben Stokes And Brendon McCullum For England’s Rapid And Remarkable Transformation
Nasser Hussain feels new skipper Ben Stokes and new coach Brendon McCullum have lived up to their words and their wish of wanting people to enjoy watching them play Test cricket.
He wrote: “You can talk the talk, as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have done since coming together, but it is quite another thing to walk the walk. How England walked it there. They have talked about promoting Test cricket and making people enjoying it.”
Nasser Hussain believes amid the darkness surrounding the team after India, New Zealand, Ashes, and Caribbean Test series losses, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes have erased the fear of failure of the players. The 53-year-old observed that the transformation from the series loss in the West Indies to now is ‘remarkable’.
Nasser Hussain added: “McCullum and Stokes have taken that fear of failure away from the England team. There has been so much doom and gloom around them. The players lost, admittedly largely because of Covid, that love and enjoyment of playing for England.
“But can you imagine the lack of confidence in that dressing room after defeat by West Indies in Grenada just a few months ago compared to how it must be now? The transformation has been rapid and remarkable.”
Brendon McCullum, who replaced Chris Silverwood in the role, said before the series that he aims to improve England’s Test fortunes and wants to erase the fear of failure. It’s worth noting that by winning the Nottingham Test, England has won their first Test series since February 2021.
England had won one of its last 17 tests before the launch of a new era under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum for this international summer. The team has won its first two tests under the new leadership, with this Trent Bridge triumph backing up England’s five-wicket victory at Lord’s in the first match of the series against the reigning inaugural World Test Champions.
The previous highest successful chase in Nottingham came in 2004 when England’s 284-6 defeated New Zealand. There had been only two others aside above 200 from that.
Nasser Hussain Praised Jonny Bairstow For His Remarkable Ton
The cricketer-turned-commentator hailed Jonny Bairstow, who turned the tables around from his failure in the first Test, having scored three tons in his last six Tests.
Nasser Hussain wrote: “Bairstow has now made three hundreds in his last six Tests but you always feel he is the one having to prove a point. And once he made two low scores at Lord’s, some people were saying ‘get Bairstow out of the side and put Harry Brook in’. That sort of thing drives him on because he always seems a better player when he has that point to prove.”
With England taking an unassailable 2-0 lead, the third Test in Leeds starting on June 23rd will be a dead rubber.
England 539 (Root 176, Pope 145, Lees 67, Foakes 56, Boult 5-106) and 299 for 5 (Bairstow 136, Stokes 75*, Lees 44) beat New Zealand 553 (Mitchell 190, Blundell 106, Anderson 3-62) and 284 (Mitchell 62*, Young 56, Conway 52, Broad 3-70) by five wickets