Morgan closes the door on Bopara
Morgan's hundred at Edgbaston showed that the selectors got it right when they preferred him to Ravi Bopara at the start of the summer, writes Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail
Akhila Ranganna
25-Feb-2013
Morgan's hundred at Edgbaston showed that the selectors got it right when they preferred him to Ravi Bopara at the start of the summer, writes Nasser Hussain in the Daily Mail. Though Morgan is trying to find his way as a Test cricketer, it was good to see him try and adapt, observes Hussain.
All the headlines will rightly go to Alastair Cook, but Eoin Morgan will be quietly chuffed with his day's work. It's been a year since he scored his first Test hundred and in some ways your second can be the toughest.
It's the innings that confirms to a batsman in his own mind that he belongs at this level. You can dismiss all thoughts that the first hundred was a fluke and just settle down a bit.
Morgan never quite found complete fluency; but he got his runs against all-comers, going to his second Test match hundred. However, with Bopara, there was a fatalistic air about his innings, as if he believed he had not much to gain and a lot to lose and a general lack of conviction, writes Simon Hughes in the Daily Telegraph.
He [Bopara] had just watched his chance of an extended run in the team disappear (not helped by the presence of the temporarily absent Jonathan Trott in the England dressing room) and was soon out lbw for seven, half-forward to Mishra. England suspect he is a touch fragile, and he proved that too.
Akhila Ranganna is assistant editor (Audio) at ESPNcricinfo