Finally, the humiliation is over. If you are an England fan, you will be relieved that the game didn't go to fifth day. It was almost comforting. The whole batting looked like a comedy show. Dean Elgar said last night that Proteas didn't want an easy win. Maybe England heard them. As if they were so desperate to prove him wrong, they didn't show any fight at all. Total surrender. Complete submission.
England have been amazing in terms of inconsistency for the last two years in test cricket. Since 2015, this is the 8th occasion on which they have lost a test match in the very next match after pulling off a victory. They have now lost 6 of their last 8 test matches. In this match, their combined two innings spanned for 96.1 overs, while South Africa's first innings stretched for 96.2 overs. You don't win many games by batting for less than 100 overs. They didn't last 2 sessions in second innings. Everyone talks about how much talent is there in this England's side. It annoys me a lot. Brutal fact: They don't deliver when it matters.
Their team selection is comical. Let me highlight more over this.
According to coach Trevor Bayliss, Moeen is England's 2nd best and Dawson is the best spinner in the country. (I doubt even Dawson's mum will agree with that). Moeen has picked 14 wickets and won Lord's test for his country. Dawson got a pair there. Dawson doesn't look threatening with ball, that is totally fine. He was picked over Rashid as he is miserly in giving away runs. The problem is : In both the tests, he gave away too many vital runs. His batting was bonus, which ran out of luck against world class Proteas attack. (He got 66* on debut against India, which led to his preference over Crane and Rashid). Sometimes, I wonder what would a team with 11 Dawsons look like (Imagine the 12th man is Dawson too). What in almighty God's name they are gonna do? Can't bowl. Can't bat. Fields at innocuous positions. By his reaction on the field, it seems as if even he has no idea why he is getting picked.
Coming to Gary Ballance. He has no idea what he is doing in the middle of a ground with a wooden thing in his hand. There is no doubt that he earned his England recall by scoring oodle of runs in county championship. (For the record, he was averaging almost 100 when he got picked). But, on international arena, he is just so clueless. His technique continues to betray him. He doesn't know whether to go forward or on back-foot. He was standing almost pacific ocean deep in his crease even when Vernon was pitching the ball so full. By the time he makes a decision, a whole parliament session is over. His weak craftsmanship against full balls were exposed dangerously in 2015 Ashes by Australian pair of Mitchells. He has already been dropped twice for his poor technique, I doubt there will be any way back for him to live this dream once another sack happens. He needs to pull up his socks and if he is lucky enough to be included for Oval test, that will be probably his last chance. He needs some vital runs if he wants a ticket for Brisbane later this year.
Opening pair: I can write a whole romantic novel over Cooky's long search for true love in the form of opening partner. Ever since Strauss retired, England have tried 11 openers (if my memory serves me right in this old age). Still everyone comes, hangs out for a while and then Cook is left frustrated. It is not that the openers England have tried have not been given long runs. Just the mere fact that the gap between County championship and international cricket is proving out to be too much to adjust. I liked young Hameed. It just disappoints me so much that he got injured when he was in sublime touch against India. This county season, his form has been abysmal. I really adored Keaton Jennings. From Durham. Good mates with Woody, Stokes and Collingwood speaks highly of him. His father has been an amazing influence over his cricket. He looks good when he bats. Getting a ton in your first game on Indian soil is something not many players achieve. Sadly, even he is turning out to be just another heartache. It is not that he has played very badly in this series. But, he seems to be getting too many unplayable balls, which indicates that he is not international quality yet.
Mark wood is proving out to be too one-dimensional. In white ball cricket, he is the go-to bowler for Eoin Morgan. He can run, bowl fast and reverse swing the old ball. A perfect weapon for any captain. But, I doubt he is yet ready for the rigors of test cricket. He last played a test in 2015 and has never played two tests back to back. He is averaging 197 in this series. One wicket in two games. That wicket too of JP Duminy. It is simply not good enough. Perhaps it was a mistake to include him for Trent Bridge. Maybe Toby Roland Jones should have been given his debut here. Well. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Everything looks so clear when we look at things in retrospect. Ah!
Another issue which is hampering their progress is : There are just too many all-rounders in this England team. Once Woakes returns, there will be 8 players in this line-up who can ball and 10 players who have got a first class hundred. It is certainly nice to have this cushion of skill in your team, but right now it is backfiring for England. Moeen doesn't know what his role is. He was not given the ball till first 45 overs in first innings and later he was the one who picked 4 wickets in second innings. Either he is doing too much, or nothing at all. Stokes: normally a helluva cricketer when on song. This series, he has not done justice either with bat or ball. He is bowling too many release balls at the moment. Bairstow, Root, Cook, Anderson and Broad have looked good, but haven't found much support from others.
This defeat won't be hard for any England's cricket fan to swallow. After all, they have been doing this for a while now. They are getting used to this. Anyway, tomorrow we have England and South Africa ODI game in Women's world cup. I can only expect that Knight's team haven't watched the highlights of this game and put on a better show.
Well. Enough already. Like it is: With England cricket, happiness is a rare episode in the general drama of pain. Let us await what unfolds in Oval.
England have been amazing in terms of inconsistency for the last two years in test cricket. Since 2015, this is the 8th occasion on which they have lost a test match in the very next match after pulling off a victory. They have now lost 6 of their last 8 test matches. In this match, their combined two innings spanned for 96.1 overs, while South Africa's first innings stretched for 96.2 overs. You don't win many games by batting for less than 100 overs. They didn't last 2 sessions in second innings. Everyone talks about how much talent is there in this England's side. It annoys me a lot. Brutal fact: They don't deliver when it matters.
Their team selection is comical. Let me highlight more over this.
According to coach Trevor Bayliss, Moeen is England's 2nd best and Dawson is the best spinner in the country. (I doubt even Dawson's mum will agree with that). Moeen has picked 14 wickets and won Lord's test for his country. Dawson got a pair there. Dawson doesn't look threatening with ball, that is totally fine. He was picked over Rashid as he is miserly in giving away runs. The problem is : In both the tests, he gave away too many vital runs. His batting was bonus, which ran out of luck against world class Proteas attack. (He got 66* on debut against India, which led to his preference over Crane and Rashid). Sometimes, I wonder what would a team with 11 Dawsons look like (Imagine the 12th man is Dawson too). What in almighty God's name they are gonna do? Can't bowl. Can't bat. Fields at innocuous positions. By his reaction on the field, it seems as if even he has no idea why he is getting picked.
Coming to Gary Ballance. He has no idea what he is doing in the middle of a ground with a wooden thing in his hand. There is no doubt that he earned his England recall by scoring oodle of runs in county championship. (For the record, he was averaging almost 100 when he got picked). But, on international arena, he is just so clueless. His technique continues to betray him. He doesn't know whether to go forward or on back-foot. He was standing almost pacific ocean deep in his crease even when Vernon was pitching the ball so full. By the time he makes a decision, a whole parliament session is over. His weak craftsmanship against full balls were exposed dangerously in 2015 Ashes by Australian pair of Mitchells. He has already been dropped twice for his poor technique, I doubt there will be any way back for him to live this dream once another sack happens. He needs to pull up his socks and if he is lucky enough to be included for Oval test, that will be probably his last chance. He needs some vital runs if he wants a ticket for Brisbane later this year.
Opening pair: I can write a whole romantic novel over Cooky's long search for true love in the form of opening partner. Ever since Strauss retired, England have tried 11 openers (if my memory serves me right in this old age). Still everyone comes, hangs out for a while and then Cook is left frustrated. It is not that the openers England have tried have not been given long runs. Just the mere fact that the gap between County championship and international cricket is proving out to be too much to adjust. I liked young Hameed. It just disappoints me so much that he got injured when he was in sublime touch against India. This county season, his form has been abysmal. I really adored Keaton Jennings. From Durham. Good mates with Woody, Stokes and Collingwood speaks highly of him. His father has been an amazing influence over his cricket. He looks good when he bats. Getting a ton in your first game on Indian soil is something not many players achieve. Sadly, even he is turning out to be just another heartache. It is not that he has played very badly in this series. But, he seems to be getting too many unplayable balls, which indicates that he is not international quality yet.
Mark wood is proving out to be too one-dimensional. In white ball cricket, he is the go-to bowler for Eoin Morgan. He can run, bowl fast and reverse swing the old ball. A perfect weapon for any captain. But, I doubt he is yet ready for the rigors of test cricket. He last played a test in 2015 and has never played two tests back to back. He is averaging 197 in this series. One wicket in two games. That wicket too of JP Duminy. It is simply not good enough. Perhaps it was a mistake to include him for Trent Bridge. Maybe Toby Roland Jones should have been given his debut here. Well. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Everything looks so clear when we look at things in retrospect. Ah!
Another issue which is hampering their progress is : There are just too many all-rounders in this England team. Once Woakes returns, there will be 8 players in this line-up who can ball and 10 players who have got a first class hundred. It is certainly nice to have this cushion of skill in your team, but right now it is backfiring for England. Moeen doesn't know what his role is. He was not given the ball till first 45 overs in first innings and later he was the one who picked 4 wickets in second innings. Either he is doing too much, or nothing at all. Stokes: normally a helluva cricketer when on song. This series, he has not done justice either with bat or ball. He is bowling too many release balls at the moment. Bairstow, Root, Cook, Anderson and Broad have looked good, but haven't found much support from others.
This defeat won't be hard for any England's cricket fan to swallow. After all, they have been doing this for a while now. They are getting used to this. Anyway, tomorrow we have England and South Africa ODI game in Women's world cup. I can only expect that Knight's team haven't watched the highlights of this game and put on a better show.
Well. Enough already. Like it is: With England cricket, happiness is a rare episode in the general drama of pain. Let us await what unfolds in Oval.
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