Ashes 2023: It’s one of the reasons they’re 2-1 down, not 2-1 up – Nasser Hussain on England’s catching woes

Former England skipper Nasser Hussain feels the hosts catching woes have led the team down in the ongoing Ashes series against Australia. England are trailing by 2-1 and Hussain reckons the Ben Stokes-led team could have been leading by 2-1 in the series if they had held their catches.

England fluffed as many as six catches in the opening Test match at Edgbaston and their wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow has been struggling behind the stumps.

Furthermore, their veteran batter Joe Root was not at his best in the third Test match at Leeds as he had put down Mitchell Marsh’s catch when he was on only 12. Marsh went on to punish the England bowlers as he scored a run-a-ball 118.

Overall, the home team has bungled 17 catches in the first three Test matches and it has led to their downfall.

“The first thing England need to do is catch better. A lot of people have been focusing on Jonny Bairstow, but the team in general have not caught well – and it’s one of the reasons they’re 2-1 down, not 2-1 up, or even 3-0 up. A total of 17 dropped catches and missed stumpings have cost England 447 runs in the first three Tests,” Nasser Hussain wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

“It’s hard enough taking 20 wickets against a side as good as Australia, without needing to create 25 or 26 chances per game. Things have to improve in Manchester,” Hussain added.

Meanwhile, Todd Murphy had made his Ashes debut in the third Test match at Leeds in the absence of injured Nathan Lyon and he was taken to the cleaners by England skipper Ben Stokes. Hussain highlighted that it will be imperative for the hosts to not let Murphy settle from one end.

“Whoever ends up bowling Australia’s off-breaks – be it the youngster Todd Murphy or the part-timer Travis Head – England will have to go after him and put more overs into the legs of the Aussie seamers.”

“If Murphy plays, England can’t let him settle. They allowed him to get through his first five overs for five runs at Headingley before Stokes took him down. The same goes for Head, who does have nine Test wickets and showed at Lord’s he can do a job, but he offers nothing to fear.”

The fourth Ashes Test will be played at Old Trafford from 19th July onwards.