‘Results remain most important currency, all sports teams are judged on their statistics’ – Nasser Hussain on England’s recent Test performances

Nasser Hussain and Ben Stokes. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Former England captain Nasser Hussain stressed the importance of winning matches as Ben Stokes and Co. are languishing at No. 8 on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table.

The cricketer-turned-commentator questioned the use of playing eye-catching cricket when it doesn’t translate into victories. England adopted a high-risk-high-reward approach under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes in 2022 and garnered immense praise from fans as well as experts. However, criticism has been severe whenever the ploy has failed to produce ideal results.

In the current WTC cycle, England have three wins, five losses, and one draw to show for their efforts. They squandered a great chance to reclaim the Ashes at home last year as they drew the five-match series 2-2 against Australia. However, they received plaudits for returning strongly in the series after losing the first two games. The first series defeat for the Three Lions in the Bazball era came against India as they went 1-3 down after the five-wicket loss in the fourth Test in Ranchi. England have a win percentage of just 19.44 in the ongoing cycle and are placed below the likes of Pakistan, West Indies, and South Africa.

Hussain asked what was the use of playing an attractive brand of cricket when it doesn’t end up producing ideal results.

“For all the good things that this England team have done in making people want to watch their matches, right now they sit second bottom in the World Test Championship table and to me results remain the most important currency. In the end, all sports teams are judged on their statistics. How they end up at the end of a season or a series. In cricket, how many runs you scored, the wickets you took,” Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail column.

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They must get the scoreline versus India back to 3-2 in Dharamshala: Nasser Hussain

The fifth and final Test between India and England is set to begin on Thursday, March 7, in Dharamshala. Hussain urged the visitors to win the match and finish the series at 2-3. According to the 55-year-old, if England manage to win the fifth Test, they will be able to give justification that they gave Rohit Sharma and Co. a good run for their money throughout the series but only failed to clinch the crucial moments.

“This England side have provided great viewing over the past two years, too, but the win-loss ratio is the most important thing in my eyes, so they must get the scoreline versus India back to 3-2 in Dharamshala this week,” Hussain said.

“Of course, they’ll still have lost the series, but they can then point to the third days of the third and fourth Tests, when they let things slip on each occasion, as a justification that they were competitive across the entire five-match tour. That they simply failed to take their opportunities,” he further added.

India are currently sitting at the top of the WTC points table, having won five out of their eight games. New Zealand and Australia are placed at No. 2 and 3, respectively.

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