Nasser Hussain reveals England captain Joe Root's main challenge in the 2021-22 Ashes
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has opined on Joe Root's most significant challenge in this year's Ashes series. England will head to Australia later this year to reclaim the urn they lost in the 2017-18 series. Hussain believes it is not the weight of expectation, but another element that will challenge Joe Root the most during the series.
Root has been in ominous form in Tests in 2021, averaging 67.21 in ten matches so far by accumulating 1277 runs. Notably, the 30-year old has scored 386 runs in two Tests against India in the ongoing five-match series, stroking two centuries and a fifty. Root has been required to carry the England batting line-up's hopes almost single-handedly every time in recent times and is bound to feel the pressure at some point.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Nasser Hussain indicated at a different challenge Root might face. He observed that Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have always got the better of Root, no matter where they bowl. The cricketer-turned-commentator conceded that both seam bowlers have found a way to dismiss the English skipper. Hussain feels overcoming them would be Root's most daunting challenge.
"Joe's problem is not going to be the weight of expectation and what’s going on, I think Hazlewood and Cummins in particular have bowled very well at him either in Australia or here at the last Ashes series. They seem to somehow, maybe they’re a little bit quicker and they nip it, they seem to get him trapped on the crease and get him out lbw and bowled, especially over here with the Dukes ball. That will be the main challenge."
England are no nearer at all to working out a decent top three: Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain also admitted that England's top three are unstable and unreliable. The 53-year old feels Dom Sibley and Rory Burns are prolific run-getters in the domestic circuit, but have not proved themselves on the international stage as yet.
Additionally, Hussain lamented the marginalization of first-class cricket in England, leaving the dropped players with no time to work on their game.
"We are no nearer at all to working out a decent top three. The problem for them is these two openers are the ones that have been getting runs in domestic cricket. Sibley and Burns are the prolific run-getters in domestic cricket over the last three or four years, so there is no easy solution."
He added:
"We haven’t had first-class cricket for ages so even when you drop people like Crawley, you can’t suddenly go off and play first-class cricket and it’s more complicated by COVID, you have to have more people in the bubble so they’re not playing, they’re just carrying the drinks. It’s absolutely crazy."
Before the Ashes in December 2021, Joe Root and England will have to find a way to bounce back in the ongoing home Test series against India. They trail in the series 0-1 after sustaining a heavy defeat at Lord's in the second game.