England's old-school anchorman

Ian Bell: England's classical lynchpin © Getty Images Enlarge

It's widely assumed that to be successful as a one-day batsman, you need a personality as wide and exuberant as your range of strokes. Innovation and arrogance are thought to be the secrets to success in this feverish form of the game, which is why Kevin Pietersen was until recently perched at the top of the world rankings.

Right now, however, Pietersen is not even the kingpin in his own England team. His star has fallen as surely as Piyush Chawla has stitched him up with the googly. Instead, in the space of three innings in the opening exchanges of the NatWest Series tussle with India, Ian Bell has burst forth from the margins to assume the role of England's tempo-setter.

He has done so with the self-assurance granted only to the classiest of strokemakers. Quick feet and an eye for the gap have granted him dominance over India's battery of spinners, and he's done so without ever looking like a flash in the pan. His 269 runs in three innings - including a maiden ODI century in the first match at Southampton - have been compiled with the rectitude of a man who backs himself to bat through an innings.

"The key for me was my shot selection, the areas I was trying to hit the ball," Bell said after his century at the Rose Bowl. He is too classical a cricketer to be tempted into big shots willy-nilly, but the consistency with which he has pierced India's infield with high-elbowed drives has almost (but not quite) brought the textbook back into fashion in one-day cricket.

Nobody really doubted that Bell had the skill and temperament to hack it as an international cricketer. Last September he was named the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year after he racked up three consecutive Test centuries against Pakistan, and during an otherwise flatlining World Cup campaign he proved to be one of England's few players with a pulse, compiling an excellent if futile 77 against the all-conquering Aussies in Antigua.

Bell's 269 runs in three innings - including a maiden ODI century in the first match at Southampton - have been compiled with the rectitude of a man who backs himself to bat throughout an innings

After Bell's second match-winning performance in three games - 79 from 89 balls at Edgbaston - Rahul Dravid pointed out that England were reaping the rewards for persisting with Bell at No. 3. Dravid is a man who knows all about the tempo of batting. His 10,505 runs in 323 ODIs have come at the less-than-lightning strike-rate of 71.22, but no one would ever suggest that he is anything but an asset in India's middle order. Bell has just completed his 50th ODI. At last, he is ready to be considered a seasoned pro.

Although these days England is all about the "team", Bell's success at his home ground will have provided an added frisson of satisfaction. Back in June, Warwickshire left Bell out of their Friends Provident semi-final against Hampshire. The reason they gave was that he had just completed the fourth Test against West Indies at Chester-le-Street, and so wouldn't be in the best frame of mind. Bell was less than impressed, Hampshire sealed a comfortable win, and talk was rife of a move away from Warwickshire. The rift seems to have been partially healed, but while his county may not always want him, his country won't be leaving him out in a hurry.

Ideally Bell will learn to take the initiative more freely, rather than simply providing the anchor to England's hopes, but for the time being - for a team that only six months ago seemed utterly directionless in one-day cricket - his development on centre-stage is progressing with welcome serenity.

What he says
"I feel more confident in my ability and I feel in pretty good form. When you feel like that, it's about picking the right ball and going for it. That is what Paul Collingwood and Peter Moores are desperate for us to do. If you know there is an option, go for it 100% with no fear of failure."