“There’s no doubt England’s top order have been too defensive in this Ashes” – Nasser Hussain

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has urged the Three Lions’ top order to take an aggressive approach in the final Ashes Test in Hobart. Hussain also emphasized that the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Zak Crawley must build on their impressive knocks from Sydney.

Joe Root’s side displayed remarkable grit in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney as the last-wicket pair held Australia to a draw. Most importantly, the tourists’ batting unit displayed a marked improvement in their performance compared to the previous three Tests.

Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Hussain hopes Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Crawley’s performances in Sydney have served as a blueprint for the visitors. He highlighted the defensive approach of the side’s batsmen and failing to put Aussie bowlers under pressure and wrote:

“The way to go is the way Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow counter-attacked in that first innings at Sydney and how Zak Crawley played in the second. Ricky Ponting has spoken about how great bowlers love it when batters are defensive and there’s no doubt England’s top order have been too defensive in this Ashes.”

Hussain added:

“They have to put the bowlers under pressure, even with balls they are not looking to attack. Trevor Bayliss said when he was England coach that positive cricket does not mean swinging from the hip.”

Of all the visiting batsmen, opener Haseeb Hameed remains the one under most pressure. The right-handed batter has failed to reach double figures since the first Test in Brisbane where he recorded scores of 25 and 27.

“England need to pick the best XI available for this game” – Nasser Hussain

Hussain further claimed that the Three Lions must pick the best eleven players according to the conditions for the day-night Test in Hobart. He lamented their selections in the last two pink-ball Tests and observed:

“Again, England need to pick the best XI available for this game. England should beware overthinking the conditions, too. They have got their side wrong for the last two pink-ball Tests in Ahmedabad and Adelaide and have only won one day-night Test, against West Indies at Edgbaston. Conversely, Australia have won all nine of their pink-ball Tests.”

Although he considered the injuries to Stokes and Bairstow, the 53-year old feels they can play as specialist batters. The cricketer-turned-commentator added:

“The fitness of Stokes is key. If he can’t bowl, it will hugely affect the balance of the side but, even though I never like going into a Test with injured players, he should play as a batter if it will not damage his side further, because he is one of England’s two best players. The same applies to Bairstow. If he is fit to bat but not to keep, he should do so, then Sam Billings can make his Test debut with the gloves.”

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Bellerive Oval in Hobart will host its first Test since 2016. It will also be the venue’s first Ashes Test, with the match beginning on 14 January.