Preview of the 2nd Test
"We got one back for us" This was the text that Captain Pat sent Professor Paine after the First Test victory at Edgbaston. It reminds us of the background to the celebration after this dramatic win. It's a good way to start the preview, but it is with peril if we continue to bask in the past - so onto the Second Test... Where's the pitch??? Oh, how the tune has changed. What happened to flat pitches that Baz and Bent had ordered from curators? Obviously 393 in all but 7 overs of a day wasn't enough. Here is the other flaw with Bazball. If the opposition set a field to minimise your boundaries, it puts the pressure on you to be more aggressive than you actually want to be (England batted for 144 overs, with Lyon doing the 'king of the jungle' share, bowling 53 overs). Then if the opposition take their time and bat within themselves, you're gassing your bowlers (England bowled 208 overs). Some were critical (myself at times too) of Captain Cummins pr...