London: Former captain Nasser Hussain has expressed his intention to persuade Joe Root to assume the No.3 for England in the ongoing Ashes 2023 series as the hosts face a selection headache when it comes to the spot.
The No. 3 position was filled by Ollie Pope until his Ashes campaign was cut short due to a shoulder injury sustained during the Lord’s Test. In an attempt to find a replacement, the team experimented with Harry Brook in the first innings of the Headingley Test, but the young batter struggled to make an impact.
By the second innings, Brook pushed back down to his usual position at No.5 after England sprung a surprise and sent Moeen Ali in at first drop. However, the decision to promote Moeen didn’t work out as he was dismissed cheaply for five.
The quest for the perfect candidate to fill the No.3 position in the remaining two Ashes Tests has now opened up a range of possibilities for England and Former captain Hussain feels that Root should move up one spot in the batting order.
“I’d be trying to convince Joe Root to bat at No.3. They may not do it. He said before the game (third Test) actually, Joe, in the press conference, ‘I’m quite happy to move to No.3,” Hussain said while Speaking on Sky Sports after the third Test.
“And then obviously, Brook did it, but I would be trying to convince Joe Root to go out and bat No.3. He’s England’s best player. He will end up England’s greatest-ever batter, and that’s where he should be coming in, one down,” he added.
Root has been performing admirably in the Ashes series thus far, accumulating 232 runs in three matches with an impressive average of 46.40. His standout innings was a remarkable unbeaten 118 on the first day of the Edgbaston Test.
–IANS