Nottingham, Aug 2 (IANS) Former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain feels the Andrew Strauss-led side is the best he has ever seen.
Hussain praised the England team after its emphatic 319-run victory over India Monday in the second cricket Test at Trent Bridge.
The hosts now lead the four-match series 2-0 and Hussain says England were flawless in both the matches.
‘These have been two of the most phenomenal Test performances that I can remember from any England side. There is just no weak link. They are the best England team I have ever seen,’ Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
‘You look through the England line-up and there is nobody you would want to replace. It is the all-round depth that really impresses me. In the past you might choose a slightly inferior bowler because he could bat a bit.’
Hussain says England’s long batting line-up is the key to their success in the series so far.
‘Now England are picking their best four bowlers and three of them can really bat as well. Even Jimmy Anderson is a much-improved batsman and capable night-watchman.
‘The best wicketkeeper in Matt Prior is also a world-class batsman. Gone are the days when a player would do well at one suit at the expense of another. They are all two- or three-dimensional.
‘Tim Bresnan is the perfect example of how outstanding England have become. When he was first picked he was thought of as a good, honest trier and a bits-and-pieces player. Now look at him,’ he said while referring to Bresnan’s 90-run knock in the second innings which was followed by a five-wicket haul in India’s 158 in the second innings.
Hussain is confident of England becoming No.1 by the end of the series and says they have the quality of maintaining the top spot for a long time.
‘I said before the series started that England were the better team and so far that has been emphatically proven.
‘They will get to No.1, probably by the end of this series and they will stay there for a long time.’
The former right-hand batsman added that England were better prepared for the high-profile series.
‘The Indian players were not ready for this series whereas everything England have done in recent times was geared towards peaking for this battle to become the world’s No.1 team.
‘England’s fast bowlers have been raring to go and capable of bowling long spells, whereas India’s players were not fit enough for the challenge and they have ended up having just three bowlers in each Test following an injury to Zaheer Khan at Lord’s and Harbhajan Singh here.’
