 | Panesar has taken only 10 first class wickets at 71 runs each which tells the story of a spin bowler who is desperately out of form and, we can assume, very low on confidence |
As The Oval pitch lies exposed and baking in warm sunshine in south London it is clear England want it to dry as much as possible and take spin. But do they dare back up that plan by playing Monty Panesar? That's the big decision facing Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, but one made difficult only by Panesar's very poor form this summer. He has taken only 10 first class wickets at 71 runs each which tells the story of a spin bowler who is desperately out of form and, we can assume, very low on confidence. At the start of the season, it would have been straightforward: Panesar and Graeme Swann would already have been inked in for this one. But with everything depending on the outcome, and England having to win the game to regain the Ashes, that decision has now become anything but easy. It might be just the bold gamble that England need to take. After all, it doesn't look like the sort of surface that Graham Onions will enjoy, in which case it would make sense for them to take a punt on Panesar finding some encouragement and, suddenly, some confidence - and an early wicket would be enough to do that. Andrew Flintoff was saving himself for the fray, and announced he feels in good shape for what will be his final Test match. | 606: DEBATE |
What an exit he would make if he lifts the team after that truly wretched performance at Headingley, and can exploit the weaknesses in Australia's batting line up that were exposed at Lord's and Edgbaston. In some ways, Ricky Ponting's men are under the cosh more here, because they can easily fall into the mindset of needing merely to draw the game to take the Ashes - and that can be dangerous. But the main battleground will be England's batting line-up. Ian Bell returns to the number three spot only six months and two failed successors later. He is good enough to make that place his own, but his record there does not inspire confidence. Should he fail in this match, I can foresee calls for Kevin Pietersen to take number three in South Africa, with Paul Collingwood four and either Ravi Bopara or Jonathan Trott - who makes his debut here - at five. That's for the future. Now it is merely the case of savouring the prospect of five days of cut and thrust with the series finely poised at 1-1. This is the first time in 44 years an Ashes series has been level going into the final Test.
| 
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
Bookmark with:
What are these?