Former England skipper Nasser Hussain didn’t hold back his disappointment over the early stumps call on Day 4 of the final Test at The Oval. Though the decision to abandon play due to bad light and rain was technically by the book, Hussain argued that cricket, in doing so, may have missed a golden opportunity to deliver a thrilling Sunday evening finish to a high-octane series.
England, chasing 374, were tantalizingly close at 339/6—just 35 runs away from victory—but the momentum had shifted. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna were moving the ball both ways, putting the batters under pressure, when rain and fading light brought play to a halt. Moments later, the day was officially called off, despite an apparent window for play to resume.
In his column for The Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain acknowledged that officials acted strictly within protocol. “Let me be crystal clear—the match officials followed the rulebook to the letter. But I can’t help feeling cricket shot itself in the foot,” he wrote. Hussain stressed that some flexibility could have allowed the game to continue past the scheduled time, especially with clear skies returning around 10:40 pm IST.
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Hussain proposed a simple yet impactful adjustment: “If the umpires believe a result can be achieved, let them offer both sides the option to continue—even if it’s past the usual cutoff. We had 26,500 fans in the stands and millions watching. This Test deserved a Sunday-night finale, not a Monday morning one when everyone’s back at work.”
He emphasised that such extensions would need mutual consent from both teams, but believed the rules should encourage at least initiating that discussion.
On the cricketing front, Hussain praised India’s fightback led by Mohammed Siraj. At 304/3, England looked set to cruise home, but India’s late burst turned the game on its head, reducing them to 339/6. “That final hour was magnificent,” Hussain noted. “To dismiss Root and Bethell when all looked lost—that takes grit. The ball started swinging and seaming out of nowhere.”
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He was especially vocal about Mohammed Siraj’s commitment: “He embodies resilience. Siraj will keep running in until the very end. He doesn’t know how to give up.” As for Harry Brook’s dismissal, which turned the tide, Hussain backed the young batter’s approach: “Brook scored 111 playing the way he does. You can’t praise that style and then question it when it goes wrong.”
In summary, Hussain’s critique wasn’t just about rules—it was about the spirit of the game, the need for adaptability, and the passion of players like Siraj who bring Test cricket to life.
