Tremlett Concern for England Ahead of Second Test at Trent Bridge

While India are forced to head into the second Test of the India England series at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, without their spearhead, England have concerns of their own with one of their fast bowlers, Chris Tremlett.

Chris Tremlett

England would like to have all their cylinders firing. However, it appears they have an eleventh hour decision to make on one of their fast bowlers, Chris Tremlett, who is apparently suffering the strain of hamstring. However, it did not appear that Tremlett was in as much trouble as Zaheer Khan was for India, breaking down as he did on the first day of the first Test at Lord’s. But the concerns are significant enough that England are not willing to announce an unchanged team until they have a full assessment which they are leaving to the final hour before the play.

Tremlett was a fine bowler for England in the first Test and although he did not pick wickets like Stuart Broad or James Anderson, Tremlett was nevertheless a lethal weapon in England’s arumour troubling the Indian batsmen with bouncers and accuracy that formed the crux of the trio’s dismantling the Indian batting line up.

Having played such a key part in the first Test victory, Andrew Strauss, the England captain, would naturally want his player at full fitness and the concern would be whether he is fit and also, whether playing him in the second Test would not aggravate his injury to deny England the opportunity to run him through the four Test series.

Tremlett’s injury has once again sparked speculation over whether Tim Bresnan will get his opportunity in the second Test. Although Stuart Broad’s talent won him the nod ahead of Bresnan in the first Test, there was a fair argument made for Bresnan’s inclusion given how he performed when thrust into the Ashes earlier in the year. Bresnan missed the series against Sri Lanka with a calf muscle injury but was ready for the first Test at Lord’s before Stuart Broad pipped him to the spot.

Tremlett will be a worry for England because they would like to maintain their plans intact seeing how their attack affected the Indian batsmen. Although it is expected that the Indian batsmen would be better acquainted by the job a second time round, it suits England to have a successful strategy in place and the variable in having to make changes to the playing eleven would not something they would have liked to leave to uncertainty into the final hour. Although Tremlett’s presence is not as pivotal as Zaheer Khan is to shape their bowling attack, his bounce and his ability makes him a crucial aspect of their plans, which means England will also be having a plan B knowing how Tremlett being left out could unsettle those plans.

How India will react to the possibility of Tremlett not being part of the attack and Bresnan being sent in will remain to be seen. Having seen Tremlett’s capabilities, perhaps India may fancy their chances against Bresnan, which is perhaps why India may not necessary view Tremlett’s absence as reason for concern but rather opportunity.