"An opportunity for England to make India really miss Ashwin" - Nasser Hussain pinpoints Ben Stokes & Co's failure in IND vs ENG 3rd Test
Former England captain Nasser Hussain reckons Ben Stokes and Co. missed an opportunity to tire the Indian bowlers in the third Test in Rajkot. Hussain felt England had the chance to force Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja into extended spells, especially with Ravichandran Ashwin missing.
With Ashwin skipping day 3 of the Test due to a family emergency, India were one frontline bowler short. However, England's batting unit collapsed from 224-2 to 319 all-out, conceding a 126-run lead as India put them to the sword.
In his column for The Daily Mail, Hussain stated that England must not always attack but rather play according to the situation.
"Bazball is not attack, attack, attack. Occasionally, you must absorb pressure and this was a time to do so, forcing Bumrah into a second spell, making Jadeja bowl more and more. An opportunity for England to make India really miss Ashwin. When the opposition have a bowler down, recognise the opportunity to grind out a score and boss the game."
The 55-year-old also opined that England can't win in India with a rigid mindset.
"It's one thing stopping an opponent's momentum in a home series, and England's record at home - even against Australia - is superb. In India it isn't as good. But if they do want things to change, it can't just be a matter of 'this is the way we play, we aren't questioning ourselves.'"
Chasing a target of 557 in the fourth innings, the visitors collapsed even faster than in the first innings. None of the top-order batters made a significant score as England suffered a heavy 434-run defeat.
"It's a time for introspection" - Nasser Hussain
Hussain further suggested that England mustn't move away from their philosophy but need to get back to doing the basics well. He said:
"They've had 18 months of incredible success and this isn't the time to move away from their philosophy. It's a time for introspection. It's a time for the basics - taking your catches, making big scores in first innings. That is how India have found themselves 2-1 up, with two to play. So instead of England players saying how great it is that Jaiswal has been looking to emulate them, note what he's actually doing."
The fourth Test begins in Ranchi on February 23rd.