Strauss missed a trick reading the Centurion pitch

In his column for the Guardian, former England coach Duncan Fletcher says Andrew Strauss erred by misreading the Centurion pitch and played into South Africa's hands by opting to bowl. He emphasises the valuable contribution by Graeme Swann, adding that he should have been introduced into the attack earlier on the first day.

South Africa were always going to bat first in last week's game. They were sure about that even in the two days before the match started, when all the talk was about how bowler-friendly the surface looked. Reading a pitch correctly is one of the most difficult decisions in cricket but England seemed to have forgotten the lessons they had learned in the past.

In the Telegraph, Steve James says there's no need to panic and that England should stick to the same squad in Durban.

It is no time to rip up the play book. Yes, there must be a concern over Ian Bell at No 6, especially after his mental aberration in the first innings where he left a straight ball from Paul Harris. But judgements must not be made on just one game. Bell critics will point to other previous examples of mental flakiness but to jettison him now would be poor selecting.

In the Mirror, James Anderson writes about the tension in the dressing room when Paul Collingwood and 'Bunny' Onions blocked it out to salvage a draw.

I have to be honest though, I couldn't bear to watch the end and had to rely on clapping hands to tell me what had happened. Now I know how the guys felt back in Cardiff when Monty Panesar and myself were keeping the Aussie bowlers at bay - and I can tell you it doesn't feel great at all.