England did quite well in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney as they registered a nail-biting draw. After having faced three consecutive defeats, they bounced back in the fourth Test. And, former England captain Nasser Hussain feels that Joe Root and the team did an outstanding job in the match.
Their final pair – James Anderson and Stuart Broad kept their cool and successfully survived the final overs to avoid a series whitewash in the five-match Ashes series. While writing in his column for The Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain stated that England’s efforts deserved praise amid all the issues they have faced as well.
“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,” Hussain wrote.
“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,” he again stated.
Crawley’s fluency was great to see: Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain also shared his views on opener Zak Crawley’s knock of 77, saying that his timing and shot selection both were flawless. The fifth and final Ashes Test will start on January 14 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.
“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,” Nasser Hussain signed off.
Get the latest cricket news here and like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.