'Haven’t Played a Lot of Cricket..'- Nasser Hussain On England’s Sloppy Cricket On Day 2
Stuart Broad's no-ball gave Usman Khawaja a reprieve on Day 2. [Source:
Ex-England skipper Nasser Hussain attributed England's sloppy play and missed opportunities on Day 2 of the first Ashes Test to a lack of competitive cricket.
Jonny Bairstow, returning after a lengthy injury break, struggled with a missed stumping and a dropped catch. England failed to dismiss Alex Carey, who was given a reprieve by Root when he was on 46.
Cameron Green, also benefiting from a missed chance, went on to score 38 runs. Moreover, Stuart Broad's dismissal of Usman Khawaja was nullified due to a front-foot no-ball. The English team collectively bowled 13 no-balls, their highest count in an inning since Ben Stokes assumed captaincy last summer, with Broad contributing six of them, a personal record for him in a Test match.
Reflecting on the day's play, Hussain described it as challenging, emphasizing the slow and difficult nature of the Edgbaston pitch. Despite Moeen Ali's impressive bowling and the spin it generated, England faltered in the final session with missed stumpings, dropped catches, and a wicket off a no-ball.
Hussain pointed out that many members of the team lacked significant match practice, and he stressed that it was not solely a matter of skills but also fitness. The impact of this lack of preparation became evident in the final session's performance, according to Hussain's analysis.
"I think a hard day, really. Day two, Edgbaston, it is usually a good day for batting. It is a slow, turgid pitch on which they had to work hard for everything. It did start to spin, I thought Moeen Ali bowled beautifully, but then I thought they were a bit sloppy in that last session. Missed stumping, dropped catch, no-ball wicket. A lot of this team haven't played a lot of cricket. It isn't just a skill-based thing; it is a fitness thing. That came to the fore in the last session."
The missed opportunities, coupled with errors in the field and an unusually high number of no-balls, were indicative of the team's struggles.
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