Sunday 29 January 2017 20:03, UK
Nasser Hussain says England can still improve after they suffered a five-run defeat to India in the second T20I in Nagpur.
Chasing 145, England looked on course for a series-clinching victory with only eight runs required from the last six deliveries, but Jasprit Bumrah (2-20) dismissed both Joe Root (38) and Jos Buttler (15) in a brilliant final over.
Hussain says he doesn't blame Root, but that his six-hitting skills aren't quite up to the level of other members of the team, while he added that England need to adapt better to slow, low pitches.
"It was an outstanding game," said Hussain. "A brilliant atmosphere, and proof that it doesn't have to be all about the batsmen and 200 plays 200.
"Anyone we have ever spoken to about playing in T20s says you've got to be unpredictable as a bowler, you have to vary your pace, line, length.
"It's an area of the game that India have not always been good at, but their two death bowlers [Bumrah and Ashish Nehra] today nailed it.
"It was not an easy pitch to start on - when Ben Stokes (38) first went in, he looked like a walking wicket. He did in fact lose his wicket, only to be saved by an Amit Mishra no-ball.
"But it was the sort of pitch that once you got in, you could start hitting them well, like Stokes did ultimately.
"The moment India got a wicket in that last over though, with a new batsman coming in, with Bumrah bowling it out of the back of the hand, and those little cutters, it was very tricky.
"It highlights an area where England still need to improve - they are a very good side when there is pace on the ball, but when the pitch dies, they need to use their nous a bit more.
"It was the perfect scenario for Root - the sort of pitch where you needed to just knock the ball around, as he wasn't going to clear the big boundaries on this ground, and on a pitch that was dying, with the ball hitting the toe-end of the bat.
"He has told me before that he struggles to keep up with the lads that whack it everywhere, he says he loses his shape.
"That happened here - it's an area of the game that he still has to work on, but I don't blame Root tonight. Plus, he shouldn't actually have been given out.
"I agree with the sentiment of why don't we have one DRS review in T20s? England would have got Virat Kohli out early on today, and saved Root, as a result.
"But that should not take away how well the Indian bowlers did at the end."
Watch the series-deciding third T20I between India and England from 1pm on Wednesday, Sky Sports 2.
