Trott sums up beauty of Test theatre
James Lawton, writing in the Independent , says Jonathan Trott may not have thrilled with his unbeaten half-century but in the context of the series, the knock could prove invaluable.
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
James Lawton, writing in the Independent, says Jonathan Trott may not have thrilled with his unbeaten half-century but in the context of the series, the knock could prove invaluable.
If the 30-year-old from Cape Town ever takes his eye off this reality for even a second it might be prudent to check if the earth is still riding on its axis. Trott, with his eternal fidgeting and pitch pruning and guard rituals, has never been a sumptuous vision of cricket's greatest possibilities. Indeed, he is more the grit in the corner of your eye. Yet once again England have a huge debt to the man who opened his Test account for them with an Ashes century at the Oval that underpinned one major shift of power in the modern game. Now, on the other side of the Thames, he has preserved England's chances of creating another one against the number-one ranked Test nation.
In the same newspaper, David Lloyd says India's fielding, both catching and ground-fielding, would have given their coach Duncan Fletcher plenty to worry about.
Nasser Hussain agrees in the Daily Mail, saying India's sloppyness in the field has given England the advantage at Lord's.
Praveen Kumar was given the new ball ahead of Ishant Sharma, and though he didn't get a wicket his prodigious swing troubled the batsmen. Sandeep Dwivedi looks at Praveen's performance in the Indian Express.
The stage set was perfect but cricket on the first day failed to live up to the hype, says Simon Briggs in the Daily Telegraph. But as is usually the case in Test cricket, the rewards will eventually come, he adds.
Also in the Daily Telegraph, Shane Warne reckons England have the advantage since the series, he feels, will be dominated by the ball and the conditions would favour the England bowlers more.
Vic Marks, in the Guardian, praises Trott for his calm, composed, unbeaten half-century that helped England recover from two early blows.
Siddhartha Talya is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo