Being axed was the worst – Bess
SIDELINED SPINNER IS READY TO RETURN
DOM Bess has admitted he was caught off guard by his England dropping and found his spell on the sidelines a “tough pill to swallow”.
As of last night, the off-spinner was a near-certainty to return to the XI for today’s fourth and final Test against India in Ahmedabad, with the tourists already accepting they got things wrong by relying on seam in their two-day defeat on the same ground last week.
Bess claimed 17 wickets in his first three matches of the winter, two against Sri Lanka and the seriesopening victory in Chennai, but struggled for consistency at times and sent down a number of full tosses in an uncertain final spell.
He was initially replaced by Moeen Ali, but was overlooked once again as England made an ill-fated decision to gamble on pace for the day/night match.
Bess is known for his ebullient mindset and self-belief, qualities his team-mates will hope have not been damaged by events of the past fortnight as they look for a win that would square the series at 2-2.
“It was certainly a tough pill to swallow. I didn’t see it round the corner,” the 23-year-old said of his axing.
“Personally, I didn’t think I needed it but, as time went on, it was probably the best option. I do think a lot about the game. I’m always trying to get better, whether thinking about it or doing it physically.
“So the hardest part for me was getting away from it and I guess the management did it for me. It has freshened me up, I’ve thought about things and then had time to work on it.
“Hopefully I’ll look back over the period and think it’s actually been a real success heading into this last game. Now, for six or 12 months time ... I was happy, probably, with that break.”
Asked if he was now ready to step back into the breach against buoyant opponents who have a place in the World Test Championship final to play for, he added: “I certainly am. It’s a massive honour to play for your country. I’ll always give my all. I’m in a great space right now to come back in. We’re under a bit of pressure, but it’s a great opportunity to perform. I know I’m ready. It’s very exciting if I get the chance to head out with 10 other blokes to try to draw the series.” Meanwhile, England captain Joe Root reported no sickness concerns on the eve of the final Test against India, following a bug that has hit several members of the touring camp. Preparations have been slightly disrupted by illness but there was a near full house at the optional net session yesterday, with three members of the pace attack choosing to do fitness work at the team base.
England have declined to narrow down their options ahead of the match, leaving a variety of choices on the table as they look to claim a 2-2 draw.
“Everyone is fit and available.
“Hopefully that stays the case and everyone is available for the game, but we’ll give ourselves a bit more time in terms of naming a squad,” said Root (below).
He added: “Everyone came into training except three of the seamers, who did gym work at the hotel. Everyone has prepared how they would like to.
“The two guys affected worse are Colly (assistant coach Paul Collingwood) and Daz (Veness, strength and conditioning coach)
“We’ll have to keep monitoring it and see how everyone is tomorrow morning.”
It was a tough pill to swallow. I didn’t see it round the corner...it was probably the best option
Dom Bess