'The transformation has been rapid and remarkable' - Nasser Hussain hails Stokes, McCullum

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have made a dream start as the captain and head coach of England's Test side. Under their leadership, England have taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match Test series against New Zealand. 

The host won the first Test by five wickets at the Lord's in London. Former skipper Joe Root propelled the team to victory by slamming 115 runs in the final innings. Meanwhile, England produced one of the greatest Test wins in their history in the second game at the Trent Bridge in Nottingham, where Stokes and Jonny Bairstow finished the chase of 299 runs by scoring at 5.98. 

Following the victory against New Zealand, the English veteran Nasser Hussain lauded Stokes and McCullum for the tremendous fightback. 

"You can talk the talk, as Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have done since coming together, but it is quite another thing to walk the walk how England walked it there. They have talked about promoting Test cricket and making people enjoying it," Hussain wrote in his column for the Daily Mail. 

The former captain believes that there was a darkness surrounding the English team following their loss against West Indies in March.

"McCullum and Stokes have taken that fear of failure away from the England team. There has been so much doom and gloom around them. The players lost, admittedly largely because of Covid, that love and enjoyment of playing for England. But can you imagine the lack of confidence in that dressing room after defeat by West Indies in Grenada just a few months ago compared to how it must be now? The transformation has been rapid and remarkable," the veteran added. 

Further, he also commented on the tremendous form of middle-order batter Jonny Bairstow. Despite smacking three tons in his last six Test matches, Jonny has been subjected to a lot of scrutiny. However, Hussain believes that the hundred in the second Test has successfully shut many fans. 

"Bairstow has now made three hundred in his last six Tests, but you always feel he is the one having to prove a point. And once he made two low scores at Lord's, some people were saying ''Get Bairstow out of the side and put Harry Brook in''. That sort of thing drives him on because he always seems a better player when he has that point to prove," Nasser Hussain concluded.