Former England captain\u2009Nasser Hussain praised the hero of England\u2019s win in the first Test against Pakistan, Chris Woakes. The England all-rounder not only picked four wickets in the match, he also contributed with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 84 to help his side chase down the total of 277.<\/p>\n
In a column with Sky Sports, Hussain praised the England all-rounder for his versatility, while going on to add that England need to understand his true value after the valiant innings played against Pakistan to steer England home.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was incredible Test match cricket. Most wins lift a dressing room and you\u2019re thrilled in there but there are certain wins that the dressing room will absolutely love and that was one for England because of who was involved in that win,\u201d Hussain wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cChris Woakes is probably the most popular man in that dressing room, probably the most under-valued cricketer by England really,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe always does it, he always goes under the radar and he is always the one who is left out because the superstars in that side \u2013 the 500-wicket boys, the nearly 600-wicket boy \u2013 but he is always there for England. He said on interview last night that he could do with a few more runs and he certainly delivered today,\u201d Hussain further wrote.<\/p>\n
Hussain further explained how Woakes\u2019 innings at number seven turned the game in England\u2019s favour. \u201cBut on a fourth day pitch, a little bit uneven, a little bit of spin, two wrist-spinners, a bloke who is struggling for runs \u2013 can\u2019t buy a run \u2013 dealing in binary digits, to go out and be 80-odd not out and win the game with his batting, that is the bit that surprised everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn top of that, England were not playing the extra batsman, they left out Zak Crawley so everyone is saying is Woakes good enough to bat at seven? That was the innings that turned the game, it was Woakes\u201d, Hussain wrote.<\/p>\n
Pakistan has been criticized for their game plan which led them to defeat during the first test. From a winning position, Pakistan adopted a laid back approach, inviting trouble which eventually meant that Jos Butler and Chris Woakes could forge a formidable partnership to steer the ship home. Former Pakistan cricketer, Ramiz Raja criticized the team\u2019s strategy, further adding that \u2018only Pakistan could have lost from that position\u2019.<\/p>\n
The second test of the three match series is due to start on Thursday, this week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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