England beat Sri Lanka in the first Test match with one-and-a-half batsmen and one-and-a-half bowlers so it should not be a surprise when they win comfortably again this week. I don’t take any pleasure in saying it but in English conditions with the ball moving around it will be a mismatch at the Riverside.
What can Sri Lanka do in Durham on pitches they never come across at home, in weather that is so cold and miserable for them and the opposite of the hot and humid conditions they play in? Score more runs is the answer.
While the ball is new, hard and shiny all of them need to play cautiously and carefully and not drive unless the ball is very full so they can’t miss it. Staying in against James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be hard enough. Whether it is first innings or second innings, judgment of what to leave and what to play will be absolutely paramount.
No matter how long it takes, a decent total is absolutely vital to get them in the game. If Sri Lanka succumb cheaply after twice being rolled over at Headingley it will be so demoralising and the match will be over quickly again.
Anderson and Broad are at their best when it is overcast, swinging and seaming with variable bounce and are a handful for the best batsmen in the world. Even recent iconic batsmen like Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara, who had better techniques than these Sri Lankan kids, would not be queuing up to bat in these conditions.
Those greats would try to survive and defend their wickets better and probably not miss out on anything to hit. But believe me our two seamers would win the battle. Sri Lanka have to hope the sun shines and the pitch is true with little movement so they can get a bit of pride back.
Deep down the England team know they won easily on the back ofJonny Bairstow’s outstanding batting and a grafting, disciplined innings by Alex Hales. Some of the other dismissals were poor. Captain Alastair Cook chased a wide ball, Joe Root and James Vince were sucked into driving on the up when a bit of caution and discipline were required.
Ben Stokes was still playing T20, stand and whack it, without moving his feet, which gave him three boundaries and a lollipop catch to mid on. He had a great T20 strike rate of 300 but that was not what was required in a Test match with his team in trouble.
Ben has so much talent in batting, bowling and catching that the world is his oyster. He is on the verge of greatness but talent alone is not enough to get him there. Great cricketers have wonderful cricket brains. Not necessarily exceptional academically but they can assess cricket situations and play accordingly.
Ben has to show his legions of supporters that he does not only have one way of batting and bowling. We need to see that in his head is a smart, clever and bright cricketer. Remember a thinking cricketer is a better cricketer and if he can do that it will mean more match-winning performances for England and he will attain the accolade of great.
The England batsmen are better than what they dished up at Headingley. The new boy Vince has an opportunity to get his head down and show us he can step up to Test match cricket by batting properly. Cook and Root are world class and don’t usually make the same mistakes twice so expect a much better performance from England’s top order.
Broad supported Anderson in the first innings with excellent line, length and pace but in the second innings was woefully wide, short and ineffective. Steven Finn was so poor. Headingley does not suit tall bowlers who bang it in or bowl back of a length. The ball tends to sit up to be hit and when he tried to bowl a fuller length it floated out of his hand at 80mph saying ‘hit me’.
Headingley has always been ideal for guys who pitch it up and kiss the top. Anyone who skids it or bowls a full length is rewarded. Fortunately Sri Lanka batted so poorly that Finn was able to finish with three cheap wickets. But the fact is Finn had no rhythm, no pace, no accuracy and I worry for him.
I am an admirer of how he has come back from a traumatic, career threatening situation after he was sent home from the Ashes tour with the coach saying he was ‘unselectable’. But he and the selectors need to see a big improvement.
England put down two not difficult chances at Headingley, by Vince at slip and Bairstow low to his right. Me being harsh? No. Great cricketers and great teams are always striving for perfection, only rarely do you achieve it but there is nothing wrong with having a ruthless, competitive desire to play better and beat the opposition by as big a margin as possible.
(The Telegraph)
