Jul 25, 2014:
England’s number three Gary Ballance says his side need to start winning the key moments if they are to turn around a 1-0 deficit in the Investec Test Series against India . England lost by 95 runs at Lord’s but Ballance is confidence the home side can get back to winning ways on the Southampton.
Ballance said the team is looking forward towards this Test match. The Zimbabwe-born No 3 has now played four Tests for England. He has registered at least 70 on four occasions, once in each match. In the ongoing Test against India, he saved the day for England with a well-compiled 110, without which England would have been in a very poor position.
What stands out about his batsmanship is the no-frills, no-thrills approach he takes. It seems rather unlikely that he will ever hit six sixes in an over, or decimate an attack with savage slogs. However, it is quite conceivable that he will grind bowlers into the ground, while punishing bad balls and playing good, old-fashioned cricket.
Ballance showed that he could put in the aggressive touch as well; he went from 85 to 103 in eight balls, with four boundaries. He took on Stuart Binny — perhaps not the quickest customer — in the process, essentially blunting the all-rounder’s potency with the ball.
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