England picked the wrong side for fourth Test, says Nasser Hussain
Sunday 11 December 2016 16:01, UK
Nasser Hussain says England's lack of an extra batsman could prove costly after India built a first-innings lead on day three of the fourth Test.
Virat Kohli struck a sensational unbeaten 147 - and Murali Vijay 136 - as India closed on 451-7, with a 51-run lead already.
While Hussain couldn't criticise England's effort with the ball generally, he believes the bowling attack picked of four seamers and two spinners on the Mumbai track has proven to be an error.
"England have not picked the right side here," he said. "There is no way you could have looked at this pitch before the game and said it was a four-seamer pitch.
"They're making up for the mistakes they made in previous games by not playing the extra seamer, but Chris Woakes has bowled only eight overs out of 142 so far here.
"England have two or three exceptional all-rounders in their team, but they're not making use of them - they keep playing an extra bowler which they don't need and it means those all-rounders are then wasted.
"What are England going to need tomorrow when they face a 100-odd run deficit? Are they going to need a fourth seamer? Or are they going to need some runs from an extra batsman? I'd say the extra batsman.
"I don't know where it has come in that we suddenly need six bowlers, plus Joe Root on a spinning pitch."
Root took two wickets in his eight overs with the ball, but dropped Jayant Yadav (30no) at slip when on eight late in the day; one of a number of missed chances by the tourists.
"You can't afford to give good players chances as they're going to hurt you," added Hussain. "Yesterday there was the missed stumping of Vijay when he was on 50-odd, and today the dropped caught-and-bowled chance for Rashid when Kohli was on 60-odd.
"England came up against a very special player today in Kohli. The locals came in to see the Kohli show, and he absolutely delivered - it was a magnificent innings.
"England stuck at their task, they really did. They didn't let their heads drop and kept going, but those missed chances hurt you.
"I think they should have taken the second new ball earlier - yes, it's going to cost you a few runs but it will also get you a chance.
"First ball that James Anderson bowled to Jayant with the new ball, he nicked it, but Root put it down. England keep making these little errors here and there and they keep catching up with them."
Live Test Cricket
Watch day four of the fourth Test between India and England, in Mumbai, from 3.45am on Sunday, Sky Sports 2.
