Published: Jul 26, 2017, 09:00 AM (IST)
Edited: Jul 25, 2017, 09:53 PM (IST)
England Men had thrashed South Africa Men in the series opener at Lord’s. South Africa returned the favour at Trent Bridge, which did not go down with former players like Michael Vaughan, Ian Botham and Nasser Hussain, all of whom slammed Joe Root and the team management for abysmal team selection and poor brand of cricket. From the highs of the inaugural match, Root experienced a humiliating drubbing in only his second Test as captain. This is perhaps why cricket is called a great leveller.
Root should learn from his counterpart, Faf du Plessis, who triggered a quick turnaround for his side and tied the series on his return from South Africa. With the scoreline reading 1-1, it is all to play for both sides in the penultimate Test at The Oval (also the centenary Test at the venue). Both camps will like to notch up a victory and take an unassailable lead in the four-match series.
Limelight shifts on Root
As mentioned above, England were down and out after the shambles at Trent Bridge. Root’s leadership is under scanner in only his third appearance as skipper. He will have to lift the team after a heavy defeat. However, there are a few things he needs to be cautious of.
For example, du Plessis led South Africa’s resurgence with aggressive cricket, taking the opponents from ball one. He elected to bat under overcast conditions, and the rest is history. Root, on the other hand, was not completely wrong in opting to bowl, but du Plessis made him look defensive in the end. Will Root dare to take a different route and shock the opponents? One must remember that his team has already been criticised for being over-aggressive when they should have seen through the passage of play cautiously.
There was another stage of the game wherein Root could have done things differently in the second Test. His over reliance on his pace battery resulted in South Africa going about their business on Day Four. Rather, he could have introduced his main spinner Moeen Ali (with 10 wickets in Lord’s) earlier to push for some aerial shots from the opponents.
It all boils to the captain. A tough task awaits the 26-year-old.
Selection woes
Keaton Jennings has not been a great support to Alastair Cook at the top. England have called in the left-handed Dawid Malan, who will be in contention as Jennings’ replacement.
Gary Ballance has been ruled out due to injury. Essex’s Tom Westley, coming on the back of an impressive County season, will fill in at No. 3. However, Graeme Swann isn’t impressed with Westley’s selection over Mark Stoneman, who has had an average superior to Westley’s of late. Westley will be eager to prove a point and pile on runs at No. 3.
Another worry for the hosts has been Mark Wood’s poor performance in the series. With only 1 wicket and not being fully fit, he may make way for Toby Roland-Jones. The team changes will determine England’s thinking process.
Likely XI for England Men: Alastair Cook, David Malan, Tom Westley, Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Mark Wood/Toby Roland-Jones.
South Africa sitting pretty on top
They faced the music outside the field after a forgettable series opener. They were without their regular skipper, dropped catches, were sloppy with no-balls and allowed England to dominate at the home of cricket.
They lost Kagiso Rabada, their main pacer, heading to the second Test, and did not pose enough threat in front of the hosts. Nonetheless, a remarkable performance turned everything in their favour and South Africa are now beaming in confidence ahead of the third Test. At this point there is no injury in their camp and will be bolstered by Rabada’s comeback in Kennington Oval.
Du Plessis proudly stated that his team had got the basics right in the previous Test. Will they deliver another nonchalant performance and take a lead? It is very difficult to maintain consistency in the longer format, and du Plessis will be wary of that. In addition, a team like England cannot be kept out of equation for long especially at home.
Likely XI for South Africa: Heino Kuhn, Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis (c), Vernon Philander, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel
Cannot leave it for the decider
A long Test series tests the consistency of a team. It also gives enough room to bounce back as well. Having said that, both camps have equal chance of going the distance in London. However, maintaining top performance is not easy in Tests. That is why it is regarded as the purest form of the game. Another forgettable show for the hosts will bury their chances ahead of the final Test. On the other hand, South Africa will be keen on maintaining their graph overseas as a defeat here may not necessarily result in another comeback in the finale.
Squads:
England Men: Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Liam Dawson, Keaton Jennings, Dawid Malan, Toby Roland-Jones, Ben Stokes, Tom Westley, Mark Wood.
South Africa Men: Faf du Plessis (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Theunis de Bruyn, JP Duminy, Dean Elgar, Heino Kuhn, Keshav Maharaj, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Duanne Olivier, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada.
