"It is hard to see him having the impact"- Michael Atherton on the injured Moeen Ali ahead of Day 5 of 1st Ashes 2023 Test

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton feels off-spinner Moeen Ali may not be able to have the impact that was needed from him on Day 5 of the ongoing Ashes Test in Edgbaston because of his finger injury.

Ali developed a blister on his right index finger which split again on Day 4 and it was visible that the off-spinner wasn't able to grip the ball well. The surface in Edgbaston seems to be helpful for the spinners, but Atherton reckons Ali's injury could dampen the impact he would have had.

In his column in The Times, here's what Michael Atherton had to write about Moeen Ali:

"Ali is clearly struggling. He was given six overs after the new ball burst, and his finger stood up for four of them, before the blister/cut opened up again. No doubt he will bowl through the pain if required but it is hard to see him having the impact a spinner would hope to have on this parched surface or emulating Nathan Lyon who kept England in check with another fine display."

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Michael Atherton praised England's mindset in crunch situations

Michael Atherton shed light on how clear England were about the way they wanted to play their cricket on Day 4 despite being under pressure at 28/2. Joe Root tried to reverse-scoop the very first ball of Day 4 and while he couldn't connect, the hosts did manage to score quick with that mindset.

On this, Atherton stated:

"It has been admirable to watch Stokes’ team make all the running, even if it has been a far from error-free performance. If their aspirations at the start of play were unclear then they became so with the first ball of the morning when Root attempted to reverse-scoop Pat Cummins over the three waiting slips, without making contact."

England are just seven wickets away from sealing a famous Ashes win. However, they should be wary of the fact that one good partnership could make Australia the favorites to chase the remaining 174 runs.