Swann balancing act delights Strauss
Julian Guyer
England captain Andrew Strauss hailed Graeme Swann after his pace
attack endured a see-saw few days in the second Test win over Pakistan
here at Edgbaston.
Off-spinner Swann didn't bowl for the second innings in a row as
Pakistan were skittled out for just 72 - their lowest total against
England - after Salman Butt, the tourists' captain, won the toss and
batted in overcast conditions ideal for swing bowling.
James Anderson produced several near unplayable deliveries as he took
four wickets for 20 runs.
Seam attack
But one of the criticisms levelled against Anderson in particular and
England's seam attack in general is, that while they can appear
extremely threatening when the ball is swinging, they are far less
potent when it refuses to deviate in the air.
And that appeared to be borne out by a second innings where, under
blue skies, Pakistan made 296 and Anderson took one for 62. November
sees England begin the defence of the Ashes in Australia - where they
have not won a Test series since 1986/87 - and doubts remain over
whether their attack can prosper in generally less swing friendly
conditions and with the Kookaburra ball, not as responsive as the Dukes
brand used in Britain.
However, Strauss pointed to Swann, who took a Test-best six for 65 in
Pakistan's second innings as proof of England's balanced attack.
And he insisted England seamers Anderson, Stuart Broad and Finn still
did mean something if the ball did not swing.
"We got a double whammy because the ball didn't swing and also the
wicket died, so there was no real carry or menace with the ball and
that's always going to be tough for the seamers," said Strauss, who saw
his side to a nine-wicket win inside four days on Monday with an
unbeaten 53 in 118 for one.
"So we looked to our spinner to do a job, and thankfully Swanny did,
so in that sense I think we've got a well-balanced bowling line-up. "If
there's not much there (for the fast bowlers) Swanny can come in, if
there is then they look pretty threatening." Swann, a key figure for
England in all formats during the last 18 months, was effectively
reduced to the role of a spectator as Anderson took a Test match-best 11
for 71 in a crushing 354-run series opening win at Trent Bridge.
But Swann, with only his third delivery at Edgbaston, bowled Pakistan
opener Imran Farhat after a sharply turning delivery pitched outside the
left-hander's leg-stump and clipped the top of off stump.
Three innings
"It's the best I have bowled, especially those first 10 or 15 overs,"
Swann said.
"After not bowling for three innings you never know what sort of
rhythm you are going to be in, whether you are going to land it or
whether it is going to turn, but thankfully all three came into play."
Swann is now third in the ICC Test bowling rankings but said: "Stats
don't tell the whole story. I don't think they did here either, as I was
playing on a wicket that was turning square. "I might bowl twice as well
next week on a flat one and I will know I have bowled well but no-one
else will if I have got none for a hundred." Another plus point for
England was the performance of No 3 Jonathan Trott who, on his
Warwickshire home ground, made fifties in both innings and also finished
on 53 not out
"The vast majority of the innings I've seen him play for England,
he's had that calm unflustered look to him," said Strauss. "It's
immensely reassuring."
Sixth in a row
This victory was England's sixth in a row and they will equal their
best of eight straight Test wins if they sweep this series - their last
before the Ashes - 4-0. "Any time you win six in a row you are pretty
happy with yourselves but we are still conscious there are plenty of
areas where we need to improve so we are not getting too carried away,"
said Strauss.
"The first job is to make sure we win the series next week (at The
Oval) and push on from there."
BIRMINGHAM, England, AFP
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