Nasser Hussain and Pakistan Team. (Source – Getty Images)
A flat pitch in Multan saw England operate at full throttle to go one-up against Pakistan in what seemed to be an encore of the 2022 series. However, it was the hosts who came back to first level the series in the second game which was played at the same venue, followed by a nine-wicket mauling in Rawalpindi to record a memorable 2-1 series victory.
Former English skipper, Nasser Hussain, commended Pakistan’s bold call of bringing in the likes of Noman Ali and Sajid Khan into the mix following the first Test. He also candidly admitted that England were laid bare on confronting tricky conditions which saw the ball rip off the track.
“Congratulations to Pakistan for making that change, they lost six Tests in a row, the fans and supporters were not happy. Different pitches and selectors and they found the kryptonite to Bazball. They have spinners of the highest quality and they have players that play spin really well. It has exposed England when the ball does spin. When it spins and it’s gripping, England don’t play spin or bowl spin as good as Pakistan,” stated Hussain, while speaking on Sky Sports Cricket.
Discrepancy in the England side is a concern: Hussain
While Hussain was understanding of the fact that a change in performance was bound to happen in the second and third games due to the conflicting nature of the tracks as compared to the one in the first game, he conceded that the divergence he observed was unsettling.
“There should be a discrepancy because the pitches have been so different from the first Test to the second and third. There’s no doubting that scores should go down and spinners should go up. But, discrepancy in the England side is a concern. It shouldn’t be so drastic that you play so well on flat pitches, and you can hit through the line, but the moment it grips, you can’t play like that and so then you’re lost,” added Hussain.
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Notably, the two disrupters of the English batting order were returning to the red-ball setup after quite an extended interval. Their inclusions brought about immediate dividends for Pakistan, who, in all honesty, completely stifled the otherwise-forceful English batters.