Joe Root’s recurring vulnerability to leg‑before‑wicket dismissals and England’s inability to turn promising starts into full centuries are the only blemishes on an otherwise improved post‑Bazball batting display, according to former captain Nasser Hussain. In the third Test at Edgbaston, England piled up a massive 453 in their first innings, building a dominant lead of 320 runs over Pakistan. The hosts were in full control and appeared set to complete a 3‑0 series whitewash when rain intervened, leaving Pakistan at 52‑2 and still 268 runs behind.

"I’ve enjoyed the tempo of the batting in this series," Hussain said. "Earlier in the Bazball era we talked about England playing too hard and missing chances. This time they have found the right rhythm, especially in the middle order with Harry Brook, Jamie Smith, Dan Lawrence and Gus Atkinson." He added that even bowlers such as Josh Tongue and Jofra Archer have contributed useful runs, and praised Emilio Gay for his measured approach at the top of the order.

"Gay knows when to take time and when to absorb pressure. English cricket, and this side in particular, have been craving that balance." Despite the overall positivity, Hussain singled out two persistent problems that England have yet to resolve in the Pakistan series.

First, Root’s four dismissals have all come via LBW. The world’s second‑most prolific Test run‑scorer continues to wrestle with this particular mode of dismissal. "Obviously there are two boxes they haven’t ticked," Hussain explained. "Their greatest player is struggling with one specific type of dismissal: LBW.

It’s glaringly obvious. He tried to fix it in the first innings, made a technical tweak, and then got out LBW again." Second, England’s conversion rate from half‑centuries to centuries has hit historic lows.

Brook (75), Smith (69), Lawrence (65), Gay (60) and Ollie Robinson (50) have all passed the fifty‑run mark without reaching three figures. In total, 14 fifties have been recorded across the series without a single hundred – a feat not seen in an English Test series since the 1888 Ashes.

"The other one is getting hundreds," Hussain continued. "You can beat Pakistan with 40s, 50s and 60s.

To beat Australia, or the New Zealand side we saw earlier in the summer, you need big hundreds and massive scores. England just need to convert those starts into big scores." Former England bowler Stuart Broad echoed the sentiment, suggesting that the definition of a "good" score may need to be reassessed after a scorching summer that has favoured bowlers.

Broad argued that on the current pitches, a score of 60 can be as valuable as a century on a flatter surface. "Top‑order batting has been very difficult in this series," Broad said. "Root, England’s best‑ever player, has struggled for runs in this series.

If he’s struggling, it’s OK for everyone else to struggle. We can’t praise Ollie Robinson, who is taking 20‑odd wickets at an average of around 6.00, and also say, ‘We should be getting more centuries.’ To be honest, this summer a 60 has felt like a hundred.

You’ve had to work as hard for a 60 on these pitches as you would for a hundred on a normal Test match surface." The commentary from both Hussain and Broad underscores a broader narrative: England’s aggressive Bazball philosophy has injected pace and intent into the batting order, yet the team remains hampered by technical frailties and a lack of conversion. Root’s LBW issue highlights a specific technical shortcoming that, despite adjustments, continues to surface. Meanwhile, the collective inability to push beyond the fifty‑run plateau points to a mental or strategic barrier when the opposition bowlers apply sustained pressure. Analysts suggest that addressing Root’s footwork and line judgment could reduce LBW occurrences, while a more patient approach in the later stages of an innings might help the middle order build on solid foundations.

The coaching staff may also need to fine‑tune the balance between Bazball’s high‑tempo aggression and the traditional emphasis on occupying the crease for long periods. As the series draws to a close, England’s bowlers have delivered consistently, but the batting unit must find a way to translate its newfound rhythm into match‑winning scores. Whether that comes through technical tweaks for individual players like Root, or a shift in mindset to chase bigger totals, will likely determine how England’s post‑Bazball era evolves beyond the Pakistan tour.