When chips were down, captain shone
aI’D like to have been a fly on the wall of the England dressing room in Bristol after their defeat to Bangladesh on Saturday night. But while I’m sure some of the choice words used would’ve turned the place blue, it certainly did the trick.
England’s resurgence in limited-overs cricket over the last nine months or so has been based on sharpness, with bat, ball and in the field. On Saturday, they lost that sharpness and that edge. They just weren’t themselves.
In their defence, sometimes it’s difficult to prepare for a series against a side who are not seen as competitive. But that is no excuse. They took their foot off the gas and paid the price.
Just what was said in the Edgbaston dressing room for the deciding match yesterday will probably never be repeated, but England’s response was magnificent as they showed the world that Saturday was just a blip.
When there’s a point to prove, there’s no-one better than Andrew Strauss to show the way. As is his style as captain, Strauss put his neck on the line and led front the front with a tremendous innings.
Strauss may not be in the world’s elite, but he’s a top class batsman and has blossomed into an inspirational leader. From a personal point of view, I’ve been delighted to see Jonathan Trott getting among the runs, but I still believe there is more to come from him. His innings at Bristol on Saturday wasn’t the cleverest, but he played his part in a stunning partnership with Strauss yesterday and will take confidence from his maiden ODI century.
When the chips were down, Strauss and England came to the party. For that reason, I’m not unduly concerned about Saturday. It was a wake-up call, which won’t do them any harm. It also gives them a chance to refocus for the tougher test against Pakistan in the coming weeks.