Nasser Hussain lays down toughest challenge for high-flying England Test team, and it's not the Ashes

England is currently going around as one of the best Test teams in the world;thanks to their new approach, called ‘Bazball’ – they have made headlines for all the right reasons so far. Be it for their Test wins at home last year or even outside of it including the famous clean-sweep victory over Pakistan in Pakistan, England is the side almost every country fears to face. Having enjoyed their recent 267-run win over New Zealand in the first Test of the ongoing series, Ben Stokes’ England is high on confidence. Meanwhile, former English captain Nasser Hussain feels this side’s toughest challenge is about to comeand it’s not the Ashes.

In 2023, Australia will be travelling to England for the away Ashes, and given how they have fared so far in their ongoing series against India, Hussain feels Ozwon’t be as big a threat as they were back in the day.

Having come to India on the back of two home series win over Windies and South Africa, Australia was confident of beating India in India for the first time since 2004. The opposite happened as India had Aussies on the mat in both Tests and that too inside three days each.

Considering Australia’s poor away run in Tests and knowing that they haven’t won an Ashes in England since 2001, the hostswould fancy their chances this time. Hussain, however, feels it’s not the Ashes that would be England’s toughest challenge this year but the away India tour in 2024.

Speaking after England’s first Test, Hussain said, “Given Australia have not won here since 2001, England’s greatest challenge will be away in India. The Ashes is going to be mouth-watering, and I think it will be close.”

Sharing his opinion on how Bazball could come up against the mighty Aussies, Hussain feels it’s the Australian batting that would determine the result of the Ashes.

“People are talking about whether Bazball will work against their high-quality bowling attack. I think the Ashes will be won and lost on Australia’s batting line-up. They have been below par away from home, but if they can score runs in England, it will be pretty tight,” Hussain added.

Meanwhile, before this star-studded pair of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over the reins, England struggled big time to find the right results under Joe Root, under whom they won just one Test in his last 17 matches as the captain. Hailing this duo that clearly changed the dynamics of English Test cricket, Hussain said,

"McCullum was the right fit at the right time. Before he came in, England were being micromanaged to the Nth degree, whether it be because of the Covid bubbles or their rotation policy. They needed someone like McCullum to set them free. With Stokes as his captain, they have two people who are completely aligned.”

England's next Test against New Zealand will be played at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, starting February 24th.