Former England captain Nasser Hussain has slammed Joe Root-led team management for dropping left-arm spinner Jack Leach in the ongoing Adelaide Ashes Test against Australia.
He asked the visitors if Jack Leach is not playing on the spin-friendly pitch at the Adelaide Oval, then when his chance will come.
“I’ve got complete admiration for Lyon. It’s bloody difficult bowling finger spin in Australia but he has become a wonderful bowler and has more than 400 Test wickets to his name. He was beating England’s left-handers ball after ball and he was all over a right-hander in Ollie Pope like a rash in the first innings. It is quite another to do it in Adelaide on that sort of dry, turning surface in 38 degree heat,” wrote Hussain in his column for Daily Mail.
“But the ball was turning in Adelaide on day two and England chose to go into this match without a specialist spinner. It is one thing leaving Leach out in England where the Dukes ball moves all day long and four seamers can do all the bowling. The sight of Nathan Lyon gaining turn and bounce and bowling with drop and drift on day four of the second Test raises a big question for England – if Jack Leach is not going to play at Adelaide on that pitch when will he?,” questioned Hussain, who played 96 Tests for England.
England were at 82/4 at end of Day 4 in their chase of 468 runs against Australia in second Ashes Test.
Australia lead the five-match series 1-0.
