It is not every day that an international cricket is brave enough to admit he needs time in the middle and willing to put himself on the line. Andrew Strauss has not only done but also, has come out trumps, scoring some much needed runs this season.
Andrew Strauss
Andrew Strauss turned up for Somerset in India’s only tour match before the England Test series although the England Test captain normally features for Middlesex. However, with Somerset scheduled to play the tour match and Middlesex having no domestic matches for Strauss to get back to his roots, the move was a stunning one from the captain but by the looks of things, paid off rather handsomely.
Strauss’ decision to turn up for Somerset came about after the England Test captain has been struggling for runs in recent times, particularly against Sri Lanka, and he wanted to get some confidence under his belt once more before the all important India England Test series with the huge prize of the no.1 Test rank at stake. With Somerset acceding to the skipper’s wishes, Strauss was putting himself on the line, dangerously encouraging skeptics to pick on the captain’s vulnerability and desperation if the move did not pay off. With the addition of Zaheer Khan playing for India after a long lay off with injury, Strauss was setting himself up once more for scrutiny over his ability to face left arm fast bowlers.
As it turned out, Strauss’ turnout in the tour match proved rewarding for him as he scored a breezy seventy-eight run innings off only ninety-eight balls to send a strong message to the Indians that not only was he determined but also, focusing his energies into getting himself back into the runs.
It would be presumptuous to assume Strauss will taste this kind of success here on forward during the Test series but the focus and the lessons he would have gained from this experience will help him in a better frame of mind as a captain for England who are looking at a tough challenge to overhaul India by two or more Tests in order to upstage India to the no.1 Test rank. In that light, the role of the openers cannot be undermined, which is why Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian captain, was disappointed not to have an impact player like Virender Sehwag at his disposal. It is unclear when Sehwag will come back to play a role for India, but Strauss has most definitely ascertained his intentions as to where he would like to be – at the top, leading the way.
That Strauss would set aside any possible criticism or possible psychological advantage that the opposition team may try to take out of the situation is commendable in that not too many cricketers would take time from the international cricket calendar and assign themselves more time in the middle with a domestic team, particularly making an exception for a team that is not their own, to serve their own interest and in the interest of the national team.
Strauss may have allowed the Indian cricket team into his present state of play, but that he has himself benefitted by getting precious runs under his belt should keep him in good stead.
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