Nasser Hussain rues lack of variety in England's bowling attack amid New Zealand's fightback at Lord'sĀ
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain attributed the national team's struggles in the ongoing first Test against New Zealand to their one-dimensional bowling attack. Hussain believes England have been unfortunate with injuries to their pacemen and need more variety in their bowling attack.
New Zealand held pole position in the Lord's Test at the end of day two as Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell shared an unbeaten 180-run stand. The duo joined hands at 56-4 and raised the tourists' lead to 227, with Mitchell set to resume his innings at 97 and his partner at 90.
227 the lead at stumps on Day 2 at Lord's. Tom Blundell and @dazmitchell47 highlight the batting effort with an unbeaten 180-run 5th wicket partnership š
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In his column for The Daily Mail, Hussain admitted that the hosts required an express pace bowler or a top-notch spinner to dislodge Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell. The 54-year-old thinks debutant leggie Matt Parkinson needs time to find his feet in international cricket. He wrote:
"As Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell bedded in, it was clear that England still need variety in their attack - either through extra pace or high-quality spin. That's not to judge Matt Parkinson on a handful of overs on a flat second-day pitch at Lord's. Even the great Shane Warne never picked up a five-wicket haul here."
However, the 54-year-old feels England must find ways to pick wickets ahead of their winter tour of Pakistan, where flat pitches are the norm.
"But it's obvious that England have to work out a game-plan before they arrive in Pakistan this winter, where flat, slow pitches are a fact of life. Partly for that reason, Parkinson should have played in the first two Tests in the West Indies."
Parkinson, who has gone wicketless so far, came in as a concussion substitute for left-arm spinner Jack Leach. The leggie has bowled 14 overs and conceded 43 runs. James Anderson and Stuart Broad picked up a wicket each, while Matthew Potts took two in the Kiwis' second innings.
Hussain lauded England's bowlers for doing their best to keep them in the game after the batters' insipid performance. He recalled the events of three summers ago at Lord's, reminding everyone what the home side had been missing.
"None of this is meant as criticism of England's bowlers, who time and again - especially the seamers - have kept their side in the game after the batters have fallen in a heap again. In this Test, they did their job in the first innings, bowling New Zealand out for 132, only for England to make just 141. Let's not forget, either, that England have had no luck with injuries to their fast bowlers."
He continued:
"No one who was there that day will forget Jofra Archer's spell to Steve Smith on a flat Lord's pitch three summers ago. That's what they're missing now - not to mention the absence of Mark Wood and Ollie Stone."
A lead of 9 runs after the first innings.
Scorecard/Clips: ms.spr.ly/6010bZWxu
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England came into this Test on a backdrop of plenty of upheavals, including a change in captaincy, coaching, and administration. They haven't won a Test since August 2021.