“Evenly poised…”: Hussain on Eng-Ind 1st Test, praises hosts for attacking Bumrah

Leeds [UK], June 22 (ANI): Former England captain Nasser Hussain hailed batter Harry Brook’s counter-attack against Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and added that heading into the second session, the match looks “evenly poised" with Bumrah’s new ball spell being crucial.

Even though India struck twice, a counter-attacking fifty by Brook and his partnerships with skipper Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith helped the Three Lions eat further into the first innings score of 471 runs set by India, as they ended the first session on 327/5. Against Bumrah, Brook made a statement, hitting him for a boundary and managing nine runs off 23 balls against him.

Speaking on air as quoted by Sky Sports, the ex-English skipper said, “You wondered whether England would see off Bumrah or go after him, and Brook went after him. Running down the pitch is one of his shots."

“He is world class but of his eight hundreds, only one has come in England. He would love to make that two on his home ground, kick on and make a really big score," he added.

Further highlighting the state of the game heading into the second session, Nasser said, “This game is evenly poised. We are three overs from the new ball, and we know who is going to take that."

“Whoever wins the Bumrah spell will go a long way to winning this Test," he added.

At the end of the first session, England was 327/5, with Brook (57*) and Smith (29*) unbeaten. They trail by 144 runs.

England started the first session of the day on 209/3, with Ollie Pope (100*) and Harry Brook (0*) unbeaten.

Pope and Brook started off on an attacking note, with the latter getting a four and six against Prasidh Krishna in the first over and Pope smacking a length delivery from Jasprit Bumrah on the next over’s very first ball.

However, a delivery wide outside off by Krishna was slashed at hard by Pope, getting an edge and going straight into the hands of Rishabh Pant, who completed his 150th catch as a wicketkeeper. Pope was gone for 106 in 137 balls, with 14 fours. England was 225/4 .

Brook continued stamping his authority on pacers, while skipper Ben Stokes settled from the other end. England reached the 250-run mark in 59 overs. It was simply raining boundaries, and the duo formed a 50-run stand in 78 balls.

However, Mohammed Siraj struck, removing Stokes for 20 in 52 balls (three fours), finding a thick edge of the bat. England was 276/5.

Early in his innings, after two solid boundaries, Jamie Smith survived a leg-before-wicket review, with Shardul Thakur missing out on a golden chance to open his wicket tally as the ball missed the leg stump. England touched the 300-run mark in 71 overs.

Pant dropped a catch of Brook and he capitalised on it, reaching his 12th Test fifty in 65 balls, with seven fours and a six. Jamie and Brook also completed a 50-run stand. (ANI)

(The story has come from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by the Tribune Staff.)

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