Hussain shows substance as well as style (20 August 1999)

20 August 1999

Hussain shows substance as well as style

Simon Hughes

The huddle is back. Last instituted by Graham Gooch in the West Indies during England's 1990 tour, it must have made something of an impression on Nasser Hussain, whose first tour that was, because yesterday he reintroduced it. At various points in the day, "new" England gathered together in the middle for a collective session of tub-thumping.

If you are from the Fred Trueman school of motivation - the wearing of three lions on your chest should give you more than enough strength to pull up an entire forest - you will receive this news with something approaching disdain. In fact, in Trueman's era a midwicket huddle might well have been beneficial since it would probably have been the only time the gentlemen and players spoke to each other.

In these more egalitarian days the huddle does serve a wider purpose, reinforcing the impression of "team", to pass on general observations (you can feel mightily isolated stuck at long leg all day) and also to unsettle the opposition. At least, for once, they were not just gathering to fend off flak from the crowd.

Hussain's return to the captaincy was much more than style over substance, as he was positive, took initiatives and retained an open mind.

As at Edgbaston, he had tried five bowlers inside the first 80 minutes, the last of whom - the occasionally mercurial Ronnie Irani - broke through with the first wicket.

That was England's only success before lunch, despite bowling with direction and hostility if, occasionally, a they were a shade too short. It could have all gone to pot afterwards, and it was to Hussain's credit that it didn't. Clearly he had offered a pertinent analysis of the morning's play in the dressing room, for in the afternoon his team bowled slightly fuller and soon quadrupled their return.

There was definitely a hint of the cackling gnome himself, Keith Fletcher, as Hussain stood at mid-off relaying his mentor's old Essex maxim: "Come on lads, don't let 'em off the 'ook."

England didn't and all the new boys played their part. In conditions he can only have fantasised about, Ed Giddins posed problems to everyone with his swingers, not least occasionally Alec Stewart, who had to retrieve them. Darren Maddy took a spectacular catch and blended seamlessly into the sarcastic banter in the slip cordon, and Irani's tempting drifters were a useful foil for the quicker men.

Throughout, England bowled in pairs, a technique the Australians have mastered. Caddick sustained the pressure superbly while the others gained the spoils. It wasn't pretty to watch, but it was effective.

In spite of his misgivings about PDAs (public displays of affection) even Fred would have said 'hallelujah' to that.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)