Nasser Hussain lavished praise on Josh Tongue during the Tea interval on day three of the second Ashes Test match at Lord’s, while criticising England’s collapse that saw them squander a strong position.
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Australia had reached 81-1 by Tea and had extended their lead past 150. Tongue had taken the only wicket to fall at the point in the innings, striking David Warner’s front pad in front of leg stump to dismiss him for 25. That wicket added to the three Tongue took in the first innings and was the second time he had dismissed David Warner in the match.
“I’ve been hugely impressed with him, so impressed,” said Hussain on Sky Sports Cricket. “I’ve been looking at the stats, he was getting his wickets in Division Two at 40 apiece at the start of the summer, and yet he’s looked to the manor born when he’s put that England shirt on. Firstly against Ireland, then against Australia in the first innings here. He had a dropped catch from (James) Anderson, he could’ve had another there, he could have had (Usman) Khawaja and Warner. He’s bowled beautifully, not just pace, and his pace is higher than the rest, but he’s a highly skillful bowler as well.”
In comparison to Tongue, Anderson had struggled before the interval. While not bowling badly he had failed to pick up a wicket, and had not been able to generate to prodigious swing England have counted on him for in the past.
“I don’t know why, I honestly don’t because he seems to have a bit of rhythm,” said Hussain of Anderson. “There’s just not that lateral movement we’ve seen from Anderson. There’s not been that swing.”
However, Hussain was damning in his opinion on England’s batting, both at the end of day two and this morning. England lost their final nine wickets for 137 runs in their first innings, losing 6-47 before lunch on day three.
“The batting yesterday after Tea and then following it up today with the way they batted, they just did not play the percentages,” said Hussain. “I thought Jonny Bairstow could’ve waited one batter more, if you’re going to go with the tail go a little bit later when you get down to Anderson. Even Robinson there, Head hadn’t turned that much, Mark Taylor said on commentary – ‘be careful, you’re going to get done by the angle on the outside edge’, and he got beaten on the outside edge.
“The damage was done yesterday when that sun was out and they got to a really strong position. To have that session after Tea where they just became happy hookers, every ball had to go. Everyone talks about Bazball, the Bazball I’ve seen is that they’ve also played the conditions. In Pakistan on a flat pitch that did nothing, they went hard and smashed them everywhere. Last summer in the Test matches the pitches got better and when they got in they smashed it everywhere. When you’ve got four people out on the hook, the percentages are not in your favour and if you keep hooking, eventually you’ll give your wicket away and that’s what they did.”
Bad light stopped play in the evening session at Lord’s with Australia 130-2, leading by 221 runs. Marnus Labuschagne had gifted Anderson a wicket shortly after the Tea interval.
