 Morgan had only hit six previous first-class hundreds |
That was absolutely the innings we wanted to see from Eoin Morgan. He came out to bat at 118-4 with the Pakistan bowlers on top and the ball nipping around a bit, which is always a test of technique, and he played the perfect Test innings in response. It was exactly the innings which everyone who has talked about Morgan, and whether or not he can make the step up, needed to see and is much more relevant than knocking off a hundred against Bangladesh. That was a very determined, disciplined innings - exactly what a left-hander should be doing with their team in trouble at number six. That innings ticked every box and if Morgan is not batting at number six in Brisbane in November, it will only be because there has been some sort of calamitous loss of form or injury between now and then. Morgan's success puts pressure on England's other batsmen, especially Alastair Cook. The Essex opener is going to face the ball swinging a lot in this series and his footwork must improve. If you get a ball which swings around you can tell who can really bat and Cook is going to have to work really hard in these four Tests or it will be his position people are going to be talking about. Kevin Pietersen seems to have a rather strange, diffident, approach at the moment. He doesn't look focused or fully switched on.  | 606: DEBATE |
People talk about him being a great player, but he is not a great player and the way he is going at the moment he will not ever be a great player. He has not got the figures to back it up. He really has to look long and hard at his game and what is going on in terms of preparation, his approach to innings and the amount of time he is batting. Where is the hard graft? Collingwood showed how you battle away when you are in no kind of form. He was hitting the ball in all sorts of strange places, often not where he was intending, but he is not out at the end of the day and could get a hundred on Friday. That is the sort of attitude Pietersen is going to have to introduce into his game. The Pakistan attack did not really have much luck. They looked threatening, they beat the bat a bit and had some close referrals turned down. But Danish Kaneria let them down and the wicketkeeper was absolutely appalling. It was not Pakistan's greatest day in the field but I would not put it down to their bowling. They were on top when Morgan and Collingwood came together and they stuck to their task pretty well. I must admit the referral system had a good day. I am not a fan of it, but at least it happened quickly and there were not the great lengthy delays we have seen in other series. But I am not going to judge this review system on just one day, I have seen too many howlers in previous series to do that. Jonathan Agnew was talking to BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham.
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