Follow UsA frustrated Nasser Hussain lashed out at England’s catching following Day 1 of third Ashes Test at Headingley as the Three Lions yet again fluffed chances as they failed to put Australia to the sword.
On a fast and lively Headingley wicket, England dropped a total of four chances, three being regulation ones that should have been gobbled up. One drop was of Mitchell Marsh on 12 — put down at slip by Root, who himself fluffed two chances — and it cost the hosts dearly as the Western Australian went on to add 106 more runs.
The drops on Day 1 took England’s tally to the series for 14, and Hussain stated that catching — and not Bazball — is the reason England find themselves 0-2 down after two Tests.
"It's been the difference between the sides and it makes me cross because when England win it's all about Bazball, when England lose it's all about Bazball, when actually they're 2-0 down because of those mistakes they've made in the game," Hussain said on Sky Sports.
"It's attention to detail and at the moment Australia have had the better attention to detail, and that's why they're 2-0 up."
Referring to Root fluffing multiple chances, Hussain noticed how dropped chances had been spreading in the England team like virus.
"It's like a virus, it spreads through the team. I'm not just talking about in a day, it's in a series - you lose it, you get hard hands.
"The greatest catchers I played with were Mark Waugh and Nick Knight, and they had soft hands. Jonny Bairstow will know he should be taking that, Joe Root will know he should be taking that - these are not difficult chances, but now it's spreading like a virus.
"You're thinking 'don't come to me, don't come to me', when in the field you should be wanting every ball to come to you."
Jonny Bairstow, who spilled multiple catches in the first Test at Edgbaston, dropped a regulation chance down the leg-side on Day 1, and Kumar Sangakkara urged the wicket-keeper to train harder in order to iron out the basic errors.
"I understand in England the conditions are not as easy when keeping to fast bowling with the wobble," Sangakkara told Sky Sports Cricket.
"Having said that, Jonny Bairstow is a good 'keeper and we've been analysing his technique seven ways from Sunday in terms of the games he's played.
"But it's fair criticism in the way he's kept, he's got to train harder to get more confidence and rhythm into his keeping because his job is very, very crucial."