England aim to silence doubters

Ever since England got hammered by 10 wickets in the first test against Pakistan, I have read numerous articles regarding the defeat. The general consensus seems to be that England do not deserve their no.1 status, they cannot play spin and the batsmen do not have the skills required to succeed on the subcontinent.

I doubt whether I have read as much rubbish since proof reading my own analysis of Great Expectations in GCSE English. Let me get something straight. England have not become a bad side in one Test, they have not even become a mediocre side.

Much of the focus in the wake of the defeat has focused on the inability of England’s batsmen to bat patiently and build an innings. You only have to look at Kevin Pietersen‘s twin failures to build a pretty convincing argument that the batsmen are lacking in the skills required to succeed on the subcontinent. However, amongst the constant stream of criticism, all recollection of the past 18 months seems to have been lost.

Many pundits, myself included, have waxed lyrical about England’s bowling attack over the last year and a half. It is widely regarded as one of the most complete bowling attacks since the all conquering Australians had McGrath and Warne operating from either end. It could be argued however, that the remarkable run of performances that have led England to their no.1 status have stemmed from the colossal scores that have been piled up by the very same batsmen that are now being torn to shreds for a very rare collective failure.

I came across a stat from Andy Zaltzman on Twitter (@ZaltzCricket) in the wake of the defeat: England’s last 3 Test defeats have all been by an innings. On each occasion, England have responded with a comprehensive victory.

I remember watching England’s last defeat, against Australia at Perth. Mitchell Johnson had re-discovered his spark and England’s batsmen had seemed utterly hopeless against his dramatic late in-swingers. I remember thinking that we would have a tough time retaining the Ashes. The next time the two sides drew swords, Australia were bowled out for 96 on the first day in Melbourne. You write this England team off at your peril.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that England will come back with a vengeance and trounce Pakistan in the 2nd Test. I think that is very doubtful, mainly because of the alien nature of the conditions. I do believe, however, that England will come back much stronger. Their batsmen very rarely continue to make the same mistakes. For example, I don’t think KP would be allowed to return to the dressing room if he got out hooking again, and if he did, I would pay good money to see Flower’s reaction.

Many have criticised Pietersen for his shot selection (or lack thereof) and rightly so, but perhaps the more worrying issue is that of Ian Bell. Sure, Pietersen played a horrific shot in the circumstances, but there is little to no doubt about his capability to score runs in the next test. Bell, on the other hand, did not get out playing a stupid shot. Quite the opposite, he was out in both innings trying to defend. Normally, this would not be too much of a problem. However, the deliveries in question were both Saeed Ajmal doosras. This has inevitably prompted questions about Bell’s ability to read Ajmal and therefore nullify his threat.

My (admittedly bold) prediction is that Bell will score runs in the 2nd Test. He is a fine player of spin, arguably the best in the England set-up, and as long as he can unravel the mysteries of Ajmal’s doosra (which he will no doubt be working tirelessly to do) I am confident he will be back in the runs.

England’s preparation has also come under question. Something that I can’t help but find absolutely ludicrous. England’s preparation is unrivaled among international teams. It was widely hailed as one of they key aspects behind the resounding Ashes triumph a year ago.

Some have even questioned the quality of the opposition in the warm up games, which seems to me a very harsh criticism. I strongly doubt whether the England management has very much influence, if any, over the sides which are put out against them. The comments appear even stranger when you consider that England were given decent games by both sides. One can’t help but wonder whether some in the media criticise just for the sake of explaining a loss. Perhaps we are incapable of acknowledging that Pakistan played well and that was the reason they won.

Steven Finn could take the place of Chris Tremlett for the second test

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of all the criticism England have received is that no one has bothered to say how well England bowled. Yes, Pakistan racked up 338 in response to England’s 192 but the damage should have been far worse. In the face of some very calm and disciplined batting from the Pakistanis (the type of batting required to succeed in the subcontinent) England probed away dutifully. This was the kind of bowling performance which suggests to me that England will cope on their upcoming tours of the subcontinent. All the seamers were impressive, once again showing their ability to work as a collective unit. Clearly the tactic during the Ashes of depriving the batsmen of runs and waiting for them to make a mistake has not been forgotten easily and will serve the pacemen well during the next year.

There is a question over the make-up of the bowling attack for the next Test. Chris Tremlett is doubtful with a back injury which means Panesar has a chance to come in whilst Finn and Onions are the other pace options. I doubt whether England will play Panesar unless it looks like a raging turner and I think this is good. Despite the fact that these pitches tend to assist the spinners, the Pakistani batsmen are very comfortable playing spin (just look at the way they knocked around Graeme Swann, he easily had the highest economy rate of all the bowlers). Personally, I would like to see Finn play as he was very impressive on the one day tour of India and I would like to see how he has progressed. However, the merits of Onions are hard to ignore as his wicket to wicket style are more suited to these placid pitches.

Tomorrow is a very big day for England. If they prove me right and play like the no.1 side they are, all will be forgotten. Another blip, they will say, a la Perth or Headingley. Capitulate once more and some more serious questions will have to be asked.