Leeds [UK], August 22 (ANI): Former England captain Nasser Hussain hailed skipper Joe Root's return to captaincy with a memorable win over Pakistan in the Leeds Test, saying that he did not try to be like the previous skipper, Ben Stokes, and England showed a lot more maturity in their performance.
Joe Root began his second stint as full-time England Test captain in emphatic fashion, defeating Pakistan by an innings and 103 runs in the opening match of the series and earning crucial ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 points on Friday. Root played a crucial role in the win, with a half-century in England's only innings, tying with Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar for most fifties in Tests, with 68 each.
Speaking after the win, Hussain said, as quoted by Sky Sports, that Root had "three really good days" as a captain.
"The biggest thing [about this Test match] was Joe Root. If you had just come down and seen Joe this week, these three days, albeit against a poor Pakistan side, you will say he had a really good three days as captain," he said.
The former skipper also said that not having a frontline spinner also worked out and the team had a great balance and Root had a "smile on his face".
"The decision with the balance of the side [worked out], electing not to have a frontline spinner. I know some of that was enforced because of no Ben Stokes - and we will come on to that - but it was also the toss decision, and then the way he batted, and then the way he captained in the field," he said.
"It was never I am trying to be Stokes. It was just Joe Root being Joe. He had a smile on his face," he added.
Hussain compared the performance with Root's performance during the second New Zealand Test, where Stokes could not play after being ruled out due to a breach of team protocols, and Root stepped in as captain. The former skipper said that Root looked "bit dishevelled by the end of that" and was great against Pakistan.
He also highlighted the team's approach under Root, as compared to Stokes, who had been criticised for lack of attention to detail, saying that England showed maturity alongside vice-captain Harry Brook in their win. He also spoke about how the batting was not all about 'Bazball, and that is the only way we play,' and it maintained a great tempo.
"I thought there was a maturity about their performance here on and off the field as well. Just listening to Harry Brook and the interview he gave me this morning, you just sensed some more mature answers - saying 'we have had a look at ourselves," said Nasser.
"It is not [the Bazball attitude] of 'this is the only way we play, and you lot do not like it - We do not care.' It was realising that there are a lot of good bits [to McCullum and Stokes], as Joe said to Michael Atherton, to take forward.
"I thought they got the tempo of batting right, albeit because they were given a full ball every over. So I sense there is a bit more of a maturity to their performance," he added.
England won the toss and opted to field first, with Josh Tongue (5/46) and Ollie Robinson (5/51) sharing spoils and skittling Pakistan out for just 171 runs, with Abdullah Shafique (61 in 104 balls, with eight fours) and Imam-ul-Haq (42 in 74 balls, with six fours) posing a bit of a fight with a 91-run third-wicket stand. Pakistan collapsed from 97/2 to 171 all out.
In their first innings, England took a massive lead, with Harry Brook (91 in 93 balls, with 13 fours), Jordan Cox (73 in 100 balls, with 14 fours), Joe Root (66 in 112 balls, with 10 fours) and Dan Lawrence (51 in 79 balls, with nine fours) collecting fifties and taking the side to 409. England led by 238 runs. Ali Usman (5/95) took a fifer for Pakistan.
In their second innings, Pakistan had an even worse showing, skittled out for just 135, with Ollie, Jofra Archer and Tongue getting three wickets each.
England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and Ollie was chosen as the 'Player of the Match' for his eight wickets. (ANI)
Former England skipper Hussain hails Root's captaincy after Leeds win over Pakistan
