for ya.
What’s that now four straight Test Match defeats after gaining the number one ranking in the world. Only England. Blowing it like they did in ’05.
Facing a team with a dismal recent record, eight straight home defeats and only won one match home or away since Muralitharan retried. And that was the thing yes England had to reach a higher fourth innings score to win than they’ve managed since the 1920s or something like that but they had days to do it and weren’t facing anything to suggest they couldn’t.
With Muralitharan and Malinga bowling at them you could almost forgive such a result. In this company you can’t.
Application, that’s all it should have taken. Unfortunately as we’ve seen so often in the past there’s only two of them that have such at their disposal. Cook and Trott. Here there was none from Cook, only Trott applied himself, getting 112. Prior showed some when they were in together and was unlucky to get out, if they has stayed together it looked to be England’s as soon as Prior went you figured that’s that. Then when Trott tired, no chance.
Oh my god Bell actually top scored in an innings. Of course when it came to the crunch he bottled it.
So finally people are talking change. As was mentioned on TMS in the bad old says the team was changed to quickly and often, whereas now no matter how poorly someone performs they’re kept in. Just like the England football team the usual suspects are in the comfort zone. Don’t have to perform because they aren’t dropped. Bell of course should be first up.
Ah but where are the replacements coming from? Who is there? Well weren’t those the questions posed before Trott came in. Anyone have him down as an international success? Nope, didn’t think so. Give someone a go, who knows they might just grab it with both hands.