da bet sport： Nasser Hussain is a very intense man
Anand Vasu09-Dec-2001Nasser Hussain is a very intense man. One instant spent lookinginto his eyes is enough to tell you that. While intensity is agood thing most of the time, it can actually backfire when thingsaren’t going too well for you. With England going 1-0 down in thethree Test series against India at Mohali, the venue most likelyto be friendly to them, things are going wrong for the visitors.Hussain however, has maintained his composure in the mostremarkable manner. Two days before the start of the second Testat Ahmedabad, the England team had a long workout in the nets atthe Sardar Patel Stadium.Just travelling from the cool climes of Mohali to the hot,dustbowl of Ahmedabad would have been enough to make Englishheart’s sink. The dry, crumbling wicket here is sure to aid spinand this was on the top of the minds of journalists gathered atthe Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera. The press conference withHussain began with the big question about the fitness of left-armspinner Ashley Giles. “I expect him to be fit for the game,”began the England skipper. “He has done everything today, andjust before I came to meet you guys I asked him how he felt andhe said, ‘I am very good.’ Obviously we have to wait tilltomorrow morning and see how he wakes up. Even if he does feel ahundred percent, he won’t automatically come in to the side, butthen when you get to a ground like this where you expect the ballto turn, we have to give him every chance to play the game.”It must be remembered that Giles had remarkable success inearlier series in the subcontinent, scalping 17 wickets in threeTests against Pakistan. The spinner, considered being a certaintyto play if fit, had to miss the first Test because of a bruisedheel. Hussain however, was keen not to commit to playing Gilesand made it clear that getting the composition of the bowlingattack right was England’s first priority. “You have to get thebalance of the bowling right when you get to a wicket like this,”Hussain explained. “In this particular instance, we are alreadyup 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 twospinners, though a lot depends on the availability of Ashley aswell as the possibility of reverse swing.”Despite England’s recent successes in tours to Sri Lanka andPakistan the team has done little so far to suggest that they canduplicate their feat. When asked about the kind of cricket heexpected in the coming Test Hussain began, “I think we will seesome turgid cricket here. I expect the wicket to turn more, turnslower and lower, but turn big.” He went on to add, “The mindsetis different when you need to graft on these tracks. In England,South Africa and Australia, the pace of the game is a lotquicker. Here, it’s a bit slow, and it demands discipline anddiscretion in shot selection. At the same time, batting here isnot all about taking a bunker to the middle. It’s not all abouthanging in there and surviving. It’s up to each individual towork out his game plan. Graham Thorpe is one of our best playersof spin, but rarely does he run down the track and smash thebowler over his head.”Hussain stressed more than once on the need for the team tolearn, and learn quickly, how to approach batting against spin inconditions that exist in the subcontinent. This prompted journosto ask the English skipper whether an extra tour game betweenTests would have helped. The reply was quick in coming. “Kumbleand Harbhajan are so different from anything else that ourbatsmen have seen, I don’t think another tour game would have hadany bearing. Maybe, a state side with both Kumble and Harbhajanplaying in it, yeah, that might have helped!” said Hussain with achuckle. “People have asked me if India’s home record intimidatesother teams. I think sometimes, we overtheorise the game. I feelIndia have the right batsmen and the right bowlers for theconditions, hence they are so good at home,” said Hussain calmly.That England are struggling here hardly comes as a surprise. Atthe same time, it would be foolish to suggest that India are anydifferent when they tour abroad. Most recently India were routedin South Africa amidst a great deal of upheaval and controversy.”But when they tour South Africa or Australia, just like we arenot used to the conditions here, they are not used to theconditions there. The greatest players, the Sachin Tendulkars andthe Steve Waughs, are those that can adapt to conditions. Sachinis such a great player because he plays well in all conditions.”Hussain clearly is experienced and mature enough to take both thehighs of victory and the lows of losing in his stride. Hereassured that it was not only him but also all the players werekeeping their chins up. “The boys have kept their spirits up andare enjoying touring. However, I have been disappointed with ourfielding, we have dropped too many chances and missed too manyopportunities since the first Ashes Test. Duncan (Fletcher) had astern word with them this morning, and we will all try hard toput that right.”That is only one thing the England team need to put right, but itsure would be a good place to start.