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Hussain warns bowlers after loss to India

N.Ananthanarayanan

England skipper Nasser Hussain warned that his fast bowlers could have it tough on the Ashes tour of Australia starting next month unless they learnt to adapt playing away from helpful English conditions.

"We have to look at our bowling when sides come at us...obviously the Australians will," he said after his side's Champions Trophy elimination at the hands of India on Sunday.

Openers Virender Sehwag and skipper Saurav Ganguly slammed hundreds to take the England opening attack apart in the pool 2 decider to lift the 2000 finalists into the last four of the 12-team event.

India raced to 271 for two with 10.3 overs to spare to eclipse England's 269-7.

The 24-year-old Sehwag tore into the new ball duo of Andy Caddick and Matthew Hoggard -- both in the Ashes party -- to make a 104-ball 126 and Ganguly hit 117 not out from 109 balls.

The two raised 192 runs for the opening wicket in only 28.4 overs, a championship record for the wicket.

Hussain praised their batting as "brilliant" but said it called for a serious review of his own bowlers' approach as he analysed their poor showing on a flat Premadasa pitch.

"It's many things. Obviously character, variation. In the English county scene, you have the white ball swinging and seaming around.

"In these sorts of situations you need to have something up your sleeve, a magical sort of ball. You have also got to bowl it at the right time."

BIT SHORT

Hussain felt his bowlers did try their best. "They tried different things like the bumper, but some of the shots fell a bit short of the fielders," he said.

England face a formidable challenge as they aim to regain the Ashes which world champions Australia have retained since 1986.

Hussain said England struggled with both their batting and bowling in the first eight overs, but was pleased that his batsmen recovered to reach 269.

Ian Blackwell, the 24-year-old Somerset all-rounder drafted into the side for the injured Andrew Flintoff, top-scored with 82 from 68 balls to make the total possible.

Hussain said: "The batting in general in the last year or so in English cricket has been generally good. But we have to work at our bowling when sides come at you like this."

He said England would have had a chance against India's formidable batting line-up if they had taken early wickets.

"But the way they batted, with their batting line-up we were always up against it."

"We have played enough against them. We know where they are going to hit it. But it's a game between two people, one has to give in.

"Sometimes one plays brilliantly. Top of the order, they did."

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