Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali made a comeback from retirement to join the star-studded playing XI led by Ben Stokes for the first Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston. The 36-year-old decided to reverse his retirement after having productive discussions with England captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. Moeen was brought into the team as a replacement for spinner Jack Leach, who was ruled out of the Ashes due to a lower back stress fracture.
Moeen Ali, the England all-rounder, showcased his skills by delivering an exceptional delivery to dismiss Australian batsman Cameron Green during the first Test match. His impressive performance with the ball earned him praise from legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh. Moeen bowled the most overs for England in the first innings, highlighting his contribution to the team.
However, England faced an injury scare when Moeen suffered a blister on his index finger, which affected his ability to bowl effectively on Day 3 of his comeback Test. Former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain shared their insights on Moeen’s performance against the Australian team during their discussion on Sky Sports Cricket.
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“[Using the spray] demonstrates that Moeen has serious issues with his spinning finger because he hasn’t been playing red-ball cricket.” “He’ll have a lot of bowling to do in this Test and possibly the series,” Atherton said. While Atherton was concerned about Moeen’s injury, Hussain pointed out that the England all-rounder hasn’t bowled regularly for the Red Dukes.
“It’s the whole debate over the distinction between white-ball and Test cricket.” Jonny Bairstow hasn’t kept much, and we’ve seen the sloppiness that comes with a day in the field. “Moeen hasn’t bowled with a red Dukes ball in a long, long time,” Hussain, who represented England in 96 Tests, added.