England need to address few batting issues
England have batted exceptionally well as a group for a long time now observes Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail , but a couple of issues have crept in that they just need to be careful about.Sri Lanka will have noted that Strauss does have a
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
England have batted exceptionally well as a group for a long time now observes Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail, but a couple of issues have crept in that they just need to be careful about.Sri Lanka will have noted that Strauss does have a slight problem with left-arm quicks while Trott's dismissal was the right-handed equivalent. As for Pietersen, his dismissal - reaching for a wide one - was the classic demise of a man out of form.
We all talk about Kevin Pietersen and left-arm spinners, but this was the 21st time in Tests Strauss has fallen to a left-arm seamer.
I would reiterate that England shouldn't make any rash decisions about Pietersen. He deserves to be shown the patience shown to others in the past: Ian Bell, Alastair Cook last summer, even Paul Collingwood in the winter.
And focussing on Pietersen, David Lloyd in the Independent writes that the time for talking in defence of Pietersen is over. Following his dismissal in the first innings at Lord's it is time that Pietersen himself had better take some positive action to convince the doubters – and they are growing in number by the innings – that all his best days are not behind him.
Yet it is not even a lack of runs that should be worrying England's selectors, it is the lack of certainty. Pietersen looked like that cat on the hot tin roof during his painful innings in Cardiff and, here, a hitherto plausible attempt to exude confidence was undone by the manner of his dismissal.
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo