"Other than Root and to an extent Ben Stokes, England’s batsmen have not had the mindset of getting big hundreds" - Nasser Hussain
Former England batter Nasser Hussain has urged the team's batting entourage to step up and support the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
The former captain encouraged the young and inexperienced batters in the line-up to exploit the optimum batting conditions in Australia.
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England's top-order frailty was on full display during their series against India a few months back. The likes of Dom Sibley, Rory Burns, Zak Crawley and Dan Lawrence were put to the test by a potent Indian bowling attack in home conditions.
While writing for his column in the Daily Mail, Hussain wrote:
"Other than Root and to an extent Ben Stokes, England’s batsmen have not had the mindset of getting big first-innings runs and big hundreds.The top three of Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed and Dawid Malan must go really big now."
Hussain added:
"This Australia team have a formidable attack but it really is a great place to bat. The pitches are good, the outfields quick and they have good ‘seeing’ grounds. The nets are brilliant for preparation and the Kookaburra ball should go soft quickly. The England batsmen should have no fear about what awaits them."
Joe Root has been scoring the bulk of the runs for England, more so in the absence of Ben Stokes. The England captain has already amassed 1398 runs across 11 Tests in the ongoing calendar year.
In other parts of the world you need something else up your sleeve: Hussain
The 53-year-old also opined that Joe Root needed to have a backup approach while leading the team in Australia. He noted that the ball wouldn't keep swinging until the end of the day's play like in England, and as a result, other options will have to be pursued.
Hussain added:
"In England, after say 70 overs, the Dukes is usually still swinging and you can stick to Plan A but in other parts of the world you need something else up your sleeve. That is when Root needs extra pace or spin and he will need those in Australia too. Jack Leach could be used in a defensive way in the first innings to rest the seamers and then in an attacking role second time round."
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England are in a rut when it comes to performing in Australia. The visitors have lost nine Tests out of the last 10 that they have played Down Under.
They will hope to rectify the record when they step out to face the Pat Cummins-led Australian side on December 8 (Wednesday) at The Gabba.