Dawson at No.8 could make strong lower order for England: Hussain

New Delhi, July 16 Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes having left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Dawson at number eight could make for a formidable lower middle order for the hosts’ ahead of the fourth Test against India, starting in Manchester on July 23.

Dawson, 35, last played in a Test for England in July 2017 and has made a return to the side after Shoaib Bashir was ruled out of the remainder of the series after injuring his left hand while attempting to stop a ball off his own bowling in the third Test at Lord’s, which England won by 22 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

“You feel for Shoaib Bashir, but that’s the nature of the game: an injury opens the door for someone else. And Dawson has the chance to show what a competitor he is, not just with the ball, but with his all-round game.

“If he goes in at No 8, that could be the start of a seriously strong lower order, possibly with Gus Atkinson, who has scored a Test century, at No 9, and Brydon Carse, who batted so well at Lord’s, at No 10,” wrote Hussain in his column for Daily Mail on Wednesday.

He also felt Dawson’s selection is a huge indicator of England choosing to completely move on from left-arm spinner Jack Leach, who last played a Test match in 2024.

“It’s clear, too, that England have moved on from Jack Leach, who has a good relationship with Ben Stokes but lacks Dawson’s all-round qualities.

“And that could be important when England decide which spin bowlers to take to Australia this winter. You need steel to succeed out there, and Dawson has it in abundance,” added Hussain.

Dawson has been a consistent performer for Hampshire in recent years of the county championship, and was also named PCA Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024. Hussain further believes that Dawson’s recall also means England might be finally moving on from making left-field calls.

“It’s also interesting that the selectors have gone from one extreme to the other — from picking Bashir based on watching social-media footage to selecting a bloke who already has international experience and has done the hard yards in county cricket.

“England seem to be moving away from the really left-field selections, such as Josh Hull for last year’s Oval Test against Sri Lanka, and saying to the county game: if you score runs and take wickets, you’ve got a chance. Sam Cook got the nod for the Zimbabwe Test, now Dawson is in the mix again. It’s a good pick, and a fillip for domestic cricketers around the country,” he concluded.

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