Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton, both former England cricketers, were scathing about England’s top order after they collapsed again in the second Test at Edgbaston on Thursday. It was because Indian fast bowlers Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj bowled so well in the final session of Day 2
Akash and Siraj bowled together and took wickets in the last hour of the third session. Akash was unplayable in the third over. He got Ben Duckett to edge the ball and it went straight to captain Shubman Gill at third slip, so Duckett was out for 0.
The next ball Ollie Pope was out for 0 as well. He tried to flick the ball but edged it to KL Rahul at second slip, who dropped it initially and then caught it. Then Siraj got Zak Crawley (19) out by tempting him into a loose shot that edged to Karun Nair at first slip.
Hussain was baffled by England’s top three’s approach on what looked like a good batting pitch at Edgbaston, especially since the ball was moving a little. He said on Sky Sports that England’s top order batsmen should be able to handle that. He thought the pitch was flat and the ball wasn’t moving much so there was no point in playing risky shots outside off stump and they should trust their defensive skills more.
England were 25/3 in response to India’s 587, but Harry Brook and Joe Root got together and got them out of trouble. Root looked confident, Brook was trying to be aggressive. He tried to guide the ball between the slips but Akash beat him and he almost edged the ball.
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Atherton didn’t like Brook’s approach and said Brook needs to think more about his batting. He felt it was silly for Brook to try to guide the ball down to third man with two slips in place.
Brook and Root were not out at the end of the day on 30 and 18 respectively. England finished the day 77/3, still 510 behind.
