Why Nasser Hussain and Rob Key want England to bat first in the remaining T20Is

Former England players Nasser Hussain and Rob Key want to see England win the toss and bat first in at least one of the remaining games against India. The two players feel that could boost England’s preparations for the T20 World Cup scheduled later this year.

The India vs England T20I series has seen both sides win the toss and bowl first. Chasing teams have won all three games in Ahmedabad, as they have been able to understand the conditions better and exploit them later on.

Dissecting England’s eight-wicket win on Sky Sports Cricket, Rob Key admitted he wants England to change their strategy in the coming games.

“I would like to see this team bat first and try and defend it in these conditions. Then I think you know exactly where you are at,” said Key.

So it looks like the T20 World Cup in India could be won by the best Tosser !!!! #INDvENG

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 16, 2021

Rob Key was not in favour of England tinkering with their playing XI, though. The 41-year-old wants to see Eoin Morgan stick with the same side that beat India on Tuesday but try and win a game by setting a total. He said in this regard:

“Had they done that in the last game, had Mark Wood been there instead of Tom Curran, who knows what might have happened? Because that was a different game today. There was no let-up for the Indian batsman. As soon as Mark Wood came on, they were under pressure like in that first game. I would like to see them defend like that.”

Win the Toss & win the game? Or are the Toss winners just consistently playing better? #ENGvIND Match 1 England toss win ✅ Match 2 India toss win ✅ Match 3 England toss win ✅

— Stuart Broad (@StuartBroad8) March 16, 2021

Mark Wood has made a telling impact in the two games he has played this series. Wood’s express pace has left the Indian batsmen flummoxed. He is, incidentally, the leading wicket-taker in the series despite missing a game because of injury.

The fast bowler ran through India’s top order on Tuesday, pegging them back in the powerplay phase. Mark Wood had earlier troubled India during the middle overs in the first game, showcasing his versatility.

Nasser Hussain feels England may wait till the last game to bat first

Absolutely outstanding with bat and ball 💪 Scorecard: https://t.co/Ktho4y7urM🇮🇳 #INDvENG 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/aS76K7MSJ0

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) March 16, 2021

Former England captain Nasser Hussain agreed with Rob Key’s assessment, but feels Eoin Morgan would be keen to wrap up the series first before attempting to bat first.

“I think he might try and win the series first. You never know, you never second guess Eoin Morgan. Eoin just does things his own way. He just has a gut feel. He’ll speak to the analyst. He’s a winner; he wants to win. He wants to boost confidence in a country at a venue where the World T20 final is going to be at. So, I guess he wants to win first.”

The T20 World Cup will take place in India around October- November later this year. In the past, Eoin Morgan has talked about using this series to acclimatise to the Indian conditions.

Multiple reports suggest that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad could host the 2021 T20 World Cup Final. Looking forward to the tournament, Hussain believes Eoin Morgan could set his side a unique challenge if they manage to wrap up the series before the fifth game.

“Maybe in the last game, he goes to his team and not change the team too much and say ‘Oh, we’re going to try a few people.’ You never know though, sometimes he just leaves himself out of the last game. But just say ‘Right. If we lose the toss in a World Cup final at this venue against this side, we have to bat first. Go and show me how we are going to do it and get an above-par score’”