‘Pakistan have a collapse in them. England must jump on it’
Sunday 1 November 2015 07:02, UK
Nasser Hussain has been impressed by England so far in the UAE and says they can steal a draw in the final Test in Sharjah.
What have you made of England's efforts in the first two Tests?
They've shown a lot of character, having lost two important tosses, and if it hadn't been for bad light it would be 1-1 in the series. To nearly pull off a victory in Abu Dhabi after Pakistan were 523-8 declared in their first innings was amazing.
Adil Rashid and Mark Wood showed a lot of fight to try and bat out for a draw in Dubai. But it proves, one bad session costs you a Test match - England losing 7-36 in one session on the third morning - and could also cost you a series.
Were you disappointed by Rashid's dismissal?
No. Pressure does funny things to the mind and getting over that final hurdle is the hardest bit. You see it with golfers on the last hole of major tournaments missing puts they'd earlier been sinking and in football with penalty shootouts.
He played a shot he'll regret but I would rather focus on the amazing work he did in the hours before. He has had some real ups and downs in his first two Test matches Adil, the poor lad has been through the mill. He has had a career and a half already but seems to be coping with it admirably.
Do England need better from him and Moeen Ali as front-line spinners?
It's not a newsflash that Pakistan play spin well, and both are still learning their trade as spinners. The UAE is no easy place to go and be successful, and though Rashid got five wickets in the second innings of the first Test, generally they have not bowled in useful conditions. I think you need to judge them both after Alastair Cook wins a toss, gets a big score and they're bowling last on a turning pitch.
Wood has been ruled out of the third Test. Are you worried by his persistent injury problems?
Not at all. I think England are being proactive not reactive, before a massive injury happens. He'll have popped into the red zone that England talk about, meaning he needs a break. In the old days someone like Wood will have been risked with the series still on the line, especially after a brilliant last Test like he had, the mentality would have been 'strap him up, give him some painkillers and get him out there'.
These fast bowlers are like gold dust, England have decided they're not going to risk him, and that is absolutely fine. They have a lot of depth in their seam bowling, with Liam Plunkett a more than useful replacement, and having bowled on two very flat pitches, the attack probably needs some fresh legs.
James Anderson says he wants to play for five more years. Can he do it?
He has to take it year by year, but I don't see why not. He is an incredibly fit athlete and only had his first serious injury at the end of this summer. He has come back from that brilliantly and bowled beautifully in this series. He could have had more than seven wickets if people had taken their catches.
The skill of that lad is unbelievable. It's good news for England that he is feeling fit, and more importantly, mentally fit and ready to carry of for a long time yet. What isn't diminishing is his hunger for wickets.
What changes would you make to the side in Sharjah?
I would leave Jos Buttler out. The toil of the summer - playing in all forms of the game - has taken it out of him. He needs some time away to reasses his game and focus on his batting. I'd give Jonny Bairstow the gloves and play James Taylor. The team rely too heavily on Joe Root and Cook for runs at the moment and need more from Ian Bell at three. Adding to the batting with someone like Taylor - a fantastic player of spin - could help.
I wouldn't change Moeen at the top of the order. Others have been given a whole summer to open the batting and show what they can do, while Moeen has only played two Tests there. Yes he will be disappointed so far but give him another go. Trevor Bayliss has come out and said, 'I'd rather give people one chance too many than one chance too few'. That's a sensible way of looking at things.
Another milestone for Root, passing 3,000 Test runs for England...
He is so reliable. If I'm away from my TV for half an hour while he is batting, I know that when I come he'll still be in.
If you want to coach a lad to bat, just have them watch Root. He ticks absolutely every box - technique, mental strength, love of the game, appetite for run-scoring. Like Cook, he will go on to break a load of England records.
Younus Khan passed 9,000 runs in the same Test. How long can he keep going?
He wants 10,000 Test runs and I don't see any reason why he can't get there. With his record, you've got to mention him alongside some of the greats of this era - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis, all of these guys.
He averages fifty in all four innings' of Test match cricket. That's what you want, you don't want people just cashing in when it's easy, he gets difficult runs. The problem for Pakistan is they're far too reliant on Younus and Misbah-ul-Haq. Asad Shafiq is a fine cricketer, but who is the next young batsman to come through for Pakistan? Who is their Root? Their Kane Williamson? Their Steve Smith?
What's your initial impression of Yasir Shah after seeing the leg-spinner bowl for the first time?
I was probably more impressed by Wahab Riaz. That's nothing against Yasir - he got his wickets and bowled beautifully - but a leg-spinner bowling against England after winning the toss, you'd expect him to pick up a few, while Wahab's spell on that third morning was electrifying.
He doesn't get it right all the time, but when he does like in that long spell, it was game-changing stuff and quite rightly, he got man-of-the-match for it.
Can England square the series in Sharjah?
Sure they can. England have got a great chance, don't write them off. This Pakistan side - as we saw in that first Test - have a collapse in them somewhere. England have just got to make sure they jump on that. Oh, and win the toss Cooky, win the toss.
Live coverage of the third Test between Pakistan and England starts at 5.30am, Sunday, Sky Sports 2. You can also watch without a contract on NOW TV.
