ENG vs IND 2018: Feels like It’s men against boys right now, says Nasser Hussain

Hussain has criticised India's performance in the series so far.

Nasser Hussain (Getty)

Criticising India's embarrassing performance at the Home of Cricket, former England Captain Nasser Hussain has said that the visitors getting bundled out for just 107 and 130 in both innings and losing the game effectively inside 2 days gave an impression that they are simply not good enough to compete in English conditions and it somewhat came across as "It’s men against boys" right now. 

“England are arguably the best in the world in these conditions but the real eye has to be on India – they have to be wary of the wheels completely falling off,” Hussain talking on Sky Sports Cricket said and added, “India are No 1 in the world and it was meant to be a gun, tight series but at the moment it is men against boys. Their curve is going in the wrong direction.”

“They were in the game for a long time last Test (at Edgbaston) but the back injury to Kohli is a concern, the fingers of (Ravichandran) Ashwin took a blow, the rest of their batting line-up continues to fail and there are no practice games in between.”

Hussain also reiterated that Virat Kohli's men will have to do something really special at Trent Bridge in the third Test to get back into the series against a rampaging English side. 

“They have got to dig really deep – there are some really good cricketers in that dressing room and they have to come out fighting", he said, “I don’t think it will be as tough as this – they can draw on the fact it’s been as hard as it can be – but Trent Bridge does a bit. (James) Anderson will be a threat, (Stuart) Broad got 8-15 there against Australia – these England players have fond memories, so it won’t get that much easier.”

Hussain also thinks that England are extra determined to pull one over Virat Kohli's men here as they were depressingly beaten by India on Indian shores in 2016 by a margin of 4-0. 

“This is payback time a little bit for England after losing 4-0 in India and I don’t see them letting up" he stressed and added, "I have seen that they are a hungry team. They won’t rest on their laurels, they want to get better and better.” 

(Inputs from PTI)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 14 Aug, 2018

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