The Surfer

We had six batsmen and only four bowlers on easy batting pitches in Antigua and Barbados. Sending Jimmy Anderson in as nightwatchman in Antigua when we had lots of runs on the board was ridiculous. Only when England had to go for broke did Strauss play five bowlers and show some urgency. Will he get better? I bloody well hope so.

"It has been instructive watching Flower grow into the role, to witness at first hand the close working relationship with Andrew Strauss, and the mutual admiration they share, and the respect he has gained across the board, even from those who might before the tour have been regarded as potential dissidents."

Unpredictability and inconsistency were old and faithful companions to Indian cricket but Dhoni’s team have made the Yo-yo Years, full of heaving, high drama and the birth of myths and legends, seem like a distant, historical curiosity

Two things were fundamental to that failure: an inherently cautious attitude, born of a team not used to winning and unsure of themselves, and a bowling attack that is worthy in its endeavours but lacks the magic ingredients to dismiss good players on good pitches.

This system was brought in to avoid a repetition of Andrew Symonds’ nick off Ishant Sharma at Sydney prior to a series-winning hundred. It was not intended to over-rule questionable lbw shouts. The sooner England realise this, the more chance they’ll have of keeping Australia at bay this summer.

The lack of first-class cricket in the past few weeks means they may be forced to pick some players on trust, and past performances. They are relying on evidence from one-day matches - domestic and international. The season schedule has done them no favours.

What cricket must ensure is that the IPL does not present its security arrangements in brochure form. There is merit in the argument of Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, that India is safer than Pakistan, but only a man of such audacity would proclaim it so confidently so soon after the horrors of Mumbai.

It is true that Prince has often encountered the second new ball from his more customary middle-innings role, but that is still rather different from tackling it at the very outset. Ironically he is now going the way of the axed McKenzie, who had made the Test move from a lower spot to the front strikingly successfully until this season, where he has looked scratchy and vulnerable both away and home against the Australians.

The third umpire acting as a consultant and feeding the on-field umpire certain pieces of information based on what he sees and then letting him review his decision makes no sense. This method further complicates the situation and can further embarrass the umpires. Once a referral has been made the decision must be taken out of the on-field umpires' hands and be left to the sole discretion of the third umpire. His decision must be based solely on technology and have no human influence if the system is to work.

The No. 1 ranking is safe. Rumblings about Ponting's captaincy have dissipated. Gratifyingly for the veteran leader, all of the new and newish faces responded to the faith shown in them, none more, of course, than opening bat Phil Hughes, with his twin centuries.

The pitch did not change that much yesterday but the match situation did – deliciously. Criticisms of this surface or the one in Barbados should not be swept away amid the excitement of a Test match, which briefly wobbled from moribund to mesmerising on the final afternoon.