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“England’s Seamers Were”: Nasser Hussain Reveals What Stokes And Co Missed Most On Day 1

Poulomi Chakraborty

Nasser Hussain Highlights England's Missing Link On Day 1 (Source: @ICC/x.com, @TheBarmyArmy/x.com)Nasser Hussain Highlights England's Missing Link On Day 1 (Source: @ICC/x.com, @TheBarmyArmy/x.com)

On the first day of the high-voltage Headingley Test, Indian batters lit up the field with a stunning display, dismantling England’s attack. On a challenging wicket, they built a rock-solid foundation to take control early.

England has stepped into the game without their prime bowlers, but former skipper Nasser Hussain sees a bigger void. According to him, England is missing the irreplaceable magic of James Anderson.

Nasser Hussain Highlights Anderson’s Absence On Day 1

Facing Ben Stokes and Co., the young Indian side gave a fairly tale start to their new Test era under Shubman Gill's captaincy. While batting first, the visitors got a good start, and Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill’s hundreds added pressure on English bowlers. Although Captain Stokes and Curse secured three breakthroughs, they fell far short of domination.

After day 1 ended, questions were raised about England’s bowling attack on their home soil. According to News18, in his column for The Daily Mail, former English great Nasser Hussain highlights James Anderson’s absence on the field. According to him, Anderson’s signature swing might have tilted the day in England’s favor.

“At Headingley, your length needs to be immaculate as a bowler for two reasons. One, it’s the place in England you have to bowl fullest to hit the top of the stumps. It’s also a very quick-scoring ground because of its lightning outfield, so if you err slightly, and the margin really is minuscule, you go for runs,” Hussain said.

"England’s seamers were either too full or too short when they overcorrected, and fabulous players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill will punish you in those situations. For all the skill Jimmy Anderson provided – in swing, out swing, wobble seam – he gave you that,” Hussain added.

Nasser Hussain Backs Stokes on Toss Call

Along with the bowling disaster, experts pointed to Ben Stokes' toss call as the English skipper opted to bowl first after winning the toss. But Nasser Hussain stood by the English skipper, saying it wasn’t a bad call, after all, even Gill preferred to bowl first.

“If evidence was required that it wasn’t an easy decision for Ben Stokes at the toss, it came from India’s new captain Shubman Gill who confirmed he was also going to bowl. Fifteen years ago, if you’d seen the blue sky and that pitch, of course you would have batted first, but recent history tells you Headingley is a bowl-first ground,” he said.


“The last six Test matches here have resulted in the side bowling first winning, and the statistics over this past decade show that through every day of a five-day match, the pitch pretty much gets better to bat on,” he added.

Team India wrapped up Day 1 in commanding style at 359/3. As Day 2 begins, England’s bowlers will be desperate for early breakthroughs to claw their way back into the contest.