England v Bangladesh: 1st Test, Day 1: Trial by Spin

 

England v Bangladesh: 1^st Test, Day 1

Trial by Spin

October 20^th  2016

From what we have seen so far, this Test may well not make it into a fifth day. A spinner taking the new ball in a Test match is already a collector’s item: even in the heyday of the great Indian spin quartet in the 1970s Eknath Solkar would trot in for two or three overs of gentle medium pace to remove the shine first. A spinner taking the new ball in a Test and immediately getting big turn at 10am on the first morning is unheard of. Bangladesh are following big time the theory that England cannot play spin. In passing, they are also preparing England for a trial by spin in India. First indications are that England may not be as ill-prepared as some Indian fans are hoping.

Already there are suggestions that England may have missed a trick by picking only three spinners. The suggestion, made on TMS – no less – is that Zafar Ansari perhaps should have played instead of Stuart Broad. And, when asked about it, Jon Agnew said that quite possibly England could take that route after this Test.

Back in the 1970s, India would regularly play one seamer and four spinners, plus a batsman who could do a reasonable imitation. Even England have done it. In 1974, England’s tour of the Caribbean initially lurched from disaster to disaster but, after an amazing rearguard from Denis Amiss, some fight and a little help from rain, arrived at the second Trinidad Test only 1-0 down and with a six-day Test in prospect. Having to win the Test to save the series, England opted for a four-man spin attack – Underwood, Pocock, Birkenshaw and Greig – with Geoff Arnold to take the new ball and Greig bowling a few overs of seam before switching to off-breaks. Needless to say, Geoff Boycott scored 99 and 112, the West Indies were set 226 to win and slumped from 63-0 to 199 all out. Greig took 13 wickets, all with spin and England won. Such selections were also seen regularly in the 1980s as, for example New Zealand packed their side with spinners in Pakistan and gave the new ball to Martin Crowe.

These days it is less common to find a pitch that is massively loaded in favour of the spinners. Perhaps cricket has missed out because of it and we should thank the likes of Somerset for bringing back the joys of seeing spin bowlers weave their magic and batsmen working hard to keep out the spinning ball.

At 21-3, with Cook, Duckett and Ballance all falling to spin, there was a chance that England could have been facing defeat even by the end of the first day. All out for around 100, Bangladesh building a lead by the Close. Armageddon. The end of the cricketing universe. It is hard to remember that Bangladesh are no longer push-overs at home: they drew their Test with India last year and were denied a likely win against South Africa by rain. That England are still batting and, some would say, already approaching a potentially match-winning score, is down to a remarkable innings from Moeen Ali, supported by Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Chris Woakes.

Moeen looked totally lost initially but, aided by a drop and by no less than five successful recourses to DRS, scored 68 and looked set for another fighting century when, finally, a ball from debutant Mehedi Hasan was too good even for him. What made the innings even better is that the Bangladesh bowlers showed tremendous skill and control and some that of the wicket-taking deliveries were just brilliant.

Runs have to be ground out. The feeling is that if England can get past 300 they will be in a strong position, provided that the England spinners show similar skill and discipline. For England to reach 300, they will need Chris Woakes to continue to bat as well as he has over the last few months and reach a third Test 50. Adil Rashid has the skill to stay with him for some time and will remember his own batting heroics in a similar situation a year ago in the UAE.

What is annoying is the way that many fans are continuing to rubbish the England side and, in particular, Moeen Ali. Two centuries and four fifties in Tests in 2016, often fighting rearguards in difficult positions, plus sixteen wickets (eleven of them in his last four Tests) have let him more than justify his place. Moeen seems to suffer from extremely high expectations being placed on him. Often we forget that even Graeme Swann was the subject of opprobrium for being too often ineffective, despite being England’s most successful post-war spinner (with the possible exception of Deadly Derek Underwood).

With conditions being tough – hot and very humid – not even a spinner is going to be able to bowl a long spell, although Mehedi Hasan managed an astonishing 33 out of 92 overs in the day. The aim for England will be to bat until as close to Lunch as possible and close down one end when bowling, while probing from the other. On whether or not they can do it will hinge the outcome of this Test and, quite possibly, the Winter.