In what turned out to be a good first day in Abu Dhabi for England despite losing the toss on a flat pitch, the key moment might actually have been before that toss even took place, says Ed Kemp.
There was plenty of chatter about the potential make-up of the team following the defeat in Dubai, and Chris Tremlett’s recurring back trouble intensified the speculation. Would England consider five bowlers? Probably not. But would they stick with three seamers and pick AOC’s new diarist Steve Finn, or give Monty Panesar a go as the extra spinner?
The evidence of those on the scene suggests even the England management didn’t know until the last minute. Nasser Hussain told us on the Sky commentary about an overheard conversation between Flower and Strauss, while they were all milling around on the outfield before play. It was at around 9.15am local time, just 15 minutes before the toss. Revealingly, Flower approached Strauss and said: “What are you going to go with, Skip?” to which the captain replied: “Two and two.” Two quick men, two spinners: Monty was in.
It’s intriguing that their minds weren’t made up before they reached the ground. Presumably Tremlett’s injury forced a late re-think about the merits of the potential replacements, but you’d hope and expect that the inclusion of Panesar as second spinner was in their thoughts anyway. It would be the first time England had fielded two spinners in a four-man attack since December 2003, in Sri Lanka.
And it proved a sound move. The first new ball didn’t do too much for James Anderson or Stuart Broad, now the only frontline seamers, and in just the 10th over we had spin. Strauss, getting Monty into the game at the first opportunity, must have known straight away he had made the right decision; two spinners was the answer here, with the ball turning from the off, and the hero of Cardiff 2009 (Panesar’s last Test appearance) bowled with impressive flight, drift and spin straight away. This was a positive return for Monty, who knocked over in-form Mohammad Hafeez in the morning after dropping a sharp caught-and-bowled chance the ball before. He has worked hard on his game all over the world as well as taking a hatful of wickets for Sussex since losing his place in the England team, and he ended up bowling 33 overs to Graeme Swann’s 18 on the first day.
The Strauss-Flower exchange before play is also an interesting insight into the workings of their partnership. Demonstrably, if Nasser’s words – and ears – are to be believed (and we think they are) team selection basically comes down to Strauss’s call. He and Flower had been deliberating together the night before and in the morning; looking studiously at the unused wicket for clues and discussing the pros and cons of the available options. But with 45 minutes until play, it was the coach who needed to ask “Skip” who was in the team.
You might well say that is all as it should be, and yes, maybe it’s not that big a surprise that the captain is picking the team on tour. Flower is not an egotistical man and you’d expect he’d be happy to give the captain his head on most issues, offering advice and exerting plenty of influence but knowing that it’s ultimately Strauss’s decision. But it’s a fascinating example of the hugely successful and much-lauded captain-coach relationship in action.
Read AOC columnist David Green’s reminder of Pakistan’s recent rollercoaster ride here.
Game Changer: Strauss Tells Flower: ‘Monty’s In’
In what turned out to be a good first day in Abu Dhabi for England despite losing the toss on a flat pitch, the key moment might actually have been before that toss even took place, says Ed Kemp.
There was plenty of chatter about the potential make-up of the team following the defeat in Dubai, and Chris Tremlett’s recurring back trouble intensified the speculation. Would England consider five bowlers? Probably not. But would they stick with three seamers and pick AOC’s new diarist Steve Finn, or give Monty Panesar a go as the extra spinner?
The evidence of those on the scene suggests even the England management didn’t know until the last minute. Nasser Hussain told us on the Sky commentary about an overheard conversation between Flower and Strauss, while they were all milling around on the outfield before play. It was at around 9.15am local time, just 15 minutes before the toss. Revealingly, Flower approached Strauss and said: “What are you going to go with, Skip?” to which the captain replied: “Two and two.” Two quick men, two spinners: Monty was in.
It’s intriguing that their minds weren’t made up before they reached the ground. Presumably Tremlett’s injury forced a late re-think about the merits of the potential replacements, but you’d hope and expect that the inclusion of Panesar as second spinner was in their thoughts anyway. It would be the first time England had fielded two spinners in a four-man attack since December 2003, in Sri Lanka.
And it proved a sound move. The first new ball didn’t do too much for James Anderson or Stuart Broad, now the only frontline seamers, and in just the 10th over we had spin. Strauss, getting Monty into the game at the first opportunity, must have known straight away he had made the right decision; two spinners was the answer here, with the ball turning from the off, and the hero of Cardiff 2009 (Panesar’s last Test appearance) bowled with impressive flight, drift and spin straight away. This was a positive return for Monty, who knocked over in-form Mohammad Hafeez in the morning after dropping a sharp caught-and-bowled chance the ball before. He has worked hard on his game all over the world as well as taking a hatful of wickets for Sussex since losing his place in the England team, and he ended up bowling 33 overs to Graeme Swann’s 18 on the first day.
The Strauss-Flower exchange before play is also an interesting insight into the workings of their partnership. Demonstrably, if Nasser’s words – and ears – are to be believed (and we think they are) team selection basically comes down to Strauss’s call. He and Flower had been deliberating together the night before and in the morning; looking studiously at the unused wicket for clues and discussing the pros and cons of the available options. But with 45 minutes until play, it was the coach who needed to ask “Skip” who was in the team.
You might well say that is all as it should be, and yes, maybe it’s not that big a surprise that the captain is picking the team on tour. Flower is not an egotistical man and you’d expect he’d be happy to give the captain his head on most issues, offering advice and exerting plenty of influence but knowing that it’s ultimately Strauss’s decision. But it’s a fascinating example of the hugely successful and much-lauded captain-coach relationship in action.
Read AOC columnist David Green’s reminder of Pakistan’s recent rollercoaster ride here.