"To have the strength to put on that performance at 3-0 down is commendable" - Nasser Hussain hails England's rearguard
Former England captain Nasser Hussain feels Joe Root and co. did a commendable job in drawing the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney. Nasser Hussain lauded England for their defiant display despite enduring several hardships.
England successfully avoided a 4-0 result in Sydney on day five as James Anderson and Stuart Broad ensured a thrilling draw. Although the tourists had a minor wobble after looking comfortable at one stage, their experienced pair had other plans. They batted for 102 overs to save the Test.
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Writing in his column for The Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain stated England's efforts deserved praise amid injuries and the coaching staff affected with COVID-19. The 53-year old feared another hammering when England were 36-4 in the first innings, hence a draw was a big step forward. He wrote:
"They have been through a lot and have been getting hammered because of their performances in this Ashes. So to have the strength to put on that performance at 3-0 down, without half their coaching staff and with injuries to key players, is commendable. It did look like the whitewash was inevitable when England were 36 for four in their first innings, the true low point of this tour, and England had to dig very deep to pull that escape off. Yes, it’s only a draw and, yes, England were nine down at the close but it was very pleasing for all England fans to finally have something to be happy about."
It was the seventh time in Test history that England's tenth-wicket partnership saved them. It's worth noting that Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow all played through the pain of injuries.
Skipper Joe Root also declared Buttler's unavailability for the final Test.
"The highlight on Sunday was the performance of Zak Crawley" - Nasser Hussain
Hussain shed light on opener Zak Crawley's 77, observing that his timing and shot selection was flawless. He felt the youngster showed the blueprint to batting in Australia.
"For me the highlight on Sunday was the performance of Zak Crawley. Crawley was putting away anything loose with grace, style and timing in his 77 and that fluency was great to see after all England’s, and his own, problems at the top of the order. And it showed you cannot have a top three that are purely looking to survive. You have to counter-punch, look to be aggressive and attack these Aussies."
The fifth and final Ashes Test starts on January 14 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.