Hussain: It's up to each individual to work out his game plan
Anand Vasu - 9 December 2001
Nasser Hussain is a very intense man. One instant spent looking
into his eyes is enough to tell you that. While intensity is a
good thing most of the time, it can actually backfire when things
aren't going too well for you. With England going 1-0 down in the
three Test series against India at Mohali, the venue most likely
to be friendly to them, things are going wrong for the visitors.
Hussain however, has maintained his composure in the most
remarkable manner. Two days before the start of the second Test
at Ahmedabad, the England team had a long workout in the nets at
the Sardar Patel Stadium.
Just travelling from the cool climes of Mohali to the hot,
dustbowl of Ahmedabad would have been enough to make English
heart's sink. The dry, crumbling wicket here is sure to aid spin
and this was on the top of the minds of journalists gathered at
the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera. The press conference with
Hussain began with the big question about the fitness of left-arm
spinner Ashley Giles. "I expect him to be fit for the game,"
began the England skipper. "He has done everything today, and
just before I came to meet you guys I asked him how he felt and
he said, 'I am very good.' Obviously we have to wait till
tomorrow morning and see how he wakes up. Even if he does feel a
hundred percent, he won't automatically come in to the side, but
then when you get to a ground like this where you expect the ball
to turn, we have to give him every chance to play the game."
It must be remembered that Giles had remarkable success in
earlier series in the subcontinent, scalping 17 wickets in three
Tests against Pakistan. The spinner, considered being a certainty
to play if fit, had to miss the first Test because of a bruised
heel. Hussain however, was keen not to commit to playing Giles
and made it clear that getting the composition of the bowling
attack right was England's first priority. "You have to get the
balance of the bowling right when you get to a wicket like this,"
Hussain explained. "In this particular instance, we are already
up four or five degrees from Mohali, and you need five bowlers,
you can't get away with four. I'd expect us to play at least two
spinners, though a lot depends on the availability of Ashley as
well as the possibility of reverse swing."
Despite England's recent successes in tours to Sri Lanka and
Pakistan the team has done little so far to suggest that they can
duplicate their feat. When asked about the kind of cricket he
expected in the coming Test Hussain began, "I think we will see
some turgid cricket here. I expect the wicket to turn more, turn
slower and lower, but turn big." He went on to add, "The mindset
is different when you need to graft on these tracks. In England,
South Africa and Australia, the pace of the game is a lot
quicker. Here, it's a bit slow, and it demands discipline and
discretion in shot selection. At the same time, batting here is
not all about taking a bunker to the middle. It's not all about
hanging in there and surviving. It's up to each individual to
work out his game plan. Graham Thorpe is one of our best players
of spin, but rarely does he run down the track and smash the
bowler over his head."
Hussain stressed more than once on the need for the team to
learn, and learn quickly, how to approach batting against spin in
conditions that exist in the subcontinent. This prompted journos
to ask the English skipper whether an extra tour game between
Tests would have helped. The reply was quick in coming. "Kumble
and Harbhajan are so different from anything else that our
batsmen have seen, I don't think another tour game would have had
any bearing. Maybe, a state side with both Kumble and Harbhajan
playing in it, yeah, that might have helped!" said Hussain with a
chuckle. "People have asked me if India's home record intimidates
other teams. I think sometimes, we overtheorise the game. I feel
India have the right batsmen and the right bowlers for the
conditions, hence they are so good at home," said Hussain calmly.
That England are struggling here hardly comes as a surprise. At
the same time, it would be foolish to suggest that India are any
different when they tour abroad. Most recently India were routed
in South Africa amidst a great deal of upheaval and controversy.
"But when they tour South Africa or Australia, just like we are
not used to the conditions here, they are not used to the
conditions there. The greatest players, the Sachin Tendulkars and
the Steve Waughs, are those that can adapt to conditions. Sachin
is such a great player because he plays well in all conditions."
Hussain clearly is experienced and mature enough to take both the
highs of victory and the lows of losing in his stride. He
reassured that it was not only him but also all the players were
keeping their chins up. "The boys have kept their spirits up and
are enjoying touring. However, I have been disappointed with our
fielding, we have dropped too many chances and missed too many
opportunities since the first Ashes Test. Duncan (Fletcher) had a
stern word with them this morning, and we will all try hard to
put that right."
That is only one thing the England team need to put right, but it
sure would be a good place to start.
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