"He has tightened up his technique" - Nasser Hussain impressed with Zak Crawley's run-a-ball 48 on Day 2 at Lord's
Former England captain Nasser Hussain heaped praise on Zak Crawley for a noticeable change in technique after Day 2 of the second Ashes Test. Hussain recalled how the Kent batter used to have a wide batting stance but that he lined up the ball well on Thursday, June 29.
Crawley struck a run-a-ball 48 in the 91-run opening stand on Day 2. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon plotted his dismissal as the right-hander came down the track and the ball spun past him.
Oh Zak 😍
That is lovely 🤌
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In his column for the Daily Mail, the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that earlier, Crawley had a wide batting stance and that the changed technique allowed him to score freely. He explained:
"What has looked extremely promising for him so far this summer is that he has tightened up his technique and on Thursday he was lining the ball up nicely once more. Previously, he had a very wide batting stance, and in New Zealand earlier this year, he was playing quite a bit out in front of himself."
"When his weight was back, he pushed his hands out in front of his body with a braced front leg whereas now he can play the ball later right underneath him, and bend that front knee into the drives," Hussain added.
Hussain commented that Crawley has shown immense potential to make daddy hundreds and should concentrate on building on his starts by thinking judiciously.
"England coach Brendon McCullum has said that Crawley's game is suited to being inconsistent - as we saw in the last game in Birmingham. He looked a million dollars. Then, when the floodlights came on, he nicked off," Nasser Hussain said.
"Crawley has shown himself to be a player who can make big hundreds, and double hundreds, but his challenge now is to achieve greater consistency, building on that tightening up of his technique by working on the mental side of shot selection," he added.
Despite consistent low scores last summer, Brendon McCullum kept backing Crawley, stating that he was an impact player. The 25-year-old started the ongoing Ashes series with a pristine 61 at Edgbaston.
"He gets drop and dip on the ball" - Nasser Hussain on Nathan Lyon
With Nathan Lyon generating big spin to beat Crawley down the leg side, Nasser Hussain explained that the veteran deceives batters into thinking it's there to be hit. He added:
"The reason Lyon has been able to get so many of those particular dismissals is because he gets drop and dip on the ball due to the over spin he gets on it. His skill is to make a batsman think the ball is there to hit when it's half a yard shorter than visualised. So the shot selection when you leave your crease has to be spot on."
SENSATIONAL glove work from Alex Carey, and Australia have their first. 💪
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England reached 278-4 at Stumps on Day 2, trailing Australia by 138.