'Nasser Insane' leads England to ashes: newspapers

Nasser Hussain's decision to bowl first was insane and England's hopes of winning the Test series against Australia were already in ashes, local newspapers said on Friday.

Captain Hussain won the toss on Thursday in the first Ashes Test, put Australia in to bat on a flat pitch and watched the home side pile up 364 for two with centuries from Matthew Hayden (186 not out) and Ricky Ponting (123).

"NASSER INSANE" was the back-page heading of Melbourne tabloid newspaper the Herald Sun on Friday, with a kicker headline "Hayden laps up charity".

"The main talking point was Hussain's decision to bowl first on a pitch that played as it looked -- flat," the newspaper said.

National broadsheet newspaper The Australian carried a front-page headline "Series in ashes by tea, Day One" with a photograph of England's promising young fast bowler Simon Jones clutching his knee in agony after damaging ligaments while fielding.

A column by Mike Coward in The Australian was headlined: "Hussain's decision to bowl an insult to England's openers".

"Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan will be within their rights to down tools if England ever get to bat in this Test match," Coward wrote, adding Hussain's decision to bowl first was "indefensible".

Melbourne newspaper The Age carried a front-page headline "Day 1: Already England in ashes". Columnist Peter Roebuck wrote: "This was not a fight. This was a rout and it was over before it had begun."

If Hussain's England could not show they belonged to the tradition of Ken Barrington and Herbert Sutcliffe, they should no longer be invited by Australia to play five-Test series, Roebuck said.

"England were inept," Roebuck added.

Mail Cricket Editor