Published: Nov 30, 2013, 07:02 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 30, 2013, 07:08 PM (IST)
Nov 30, 2013
England batsman Ian Bell said on Saturday he is ready to bat at the key No 3 slot in the absence of Jonathan Trott, for rest of the Ashes series 2013-14. The second Test match between Australia and England starts on November 5 at the Adelaide Oval.
Bell has previously played at the No 3 slot for England. He also once filled in for the injured Trott during the Test series against India in 2011 and went onto score a double hundred at The Oval. Joe Root is the other likely option that England have at their disposal.
Bell, who captained England against Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI in a tour game told England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) website, “Obviously, it’s difficult without Trotty — who has been such a key player for us for such a long time. We’ve got a number of options with the batting and balance of the side … but I put up my hand to go up the order.”
He continued, “I’ve said I’m absolutely willing to go to number three. But that decision is probably out of my control.”
Bell also talked highly about Gary Ballance, who made a half-century in the warm-up game against Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI at Alice Springs. He said, “I think Gary Ballance has done really well here.
“He’s had a tough start, with the first couple of knocks he’s had in an England shirt. So to go out there and bat a long period of time, on a wicket that wasn’t the easiest to score runs on fluently … he did well.
“That’s what we want, guys who are going to bat long periods of time in this series – so he showed some character,” he stated.
The young Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes too played in the warm-up game at Alice Springs. Bell commented on Stokes’s performance in the warm-up game, “Ben looked really good, very positive, and bowled well today with the reverse-swinging ball — so we’ve got some nice options.”
England’s spin twins, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar combined to take most of the wickets in the tour game. Bell on Panesar’s performance and viability of playing two spinners at Adelaide, “Monty set the tone straight after lunch with that wicket through the gate.
“That is exactly how Monty bowls at his best and it was nice to see him settle into that rhythm very quickly. It is a possibility (that he could play at Adelaide). We’ve got that flexibility, two spinners.
He concluded, “When he’s bowling well, he bowls beautiful deliveries and shows that quality you need in a left-arm spinner.”
