Malan misses great chance to seal Ashes spot
Middlesex batter unable to build on half-century More questions than answers for top order
Alastair Cook issued the warning on the first evening when he said as a batsman you are “always judged on hundreds” and Dawid Malan will know that rings true as he reflects on his best innings so far for England.
Cook always talks about “Daddy hundreds”. Well, this was the mother of all opportunities for Malan. As always in English cricket one eye is on the Ashes during this Test at Edgbaston and Malan had within his grasp the opportunity to make the score that would earn a place on this winter’s trip to Australia.
A century here would have done the job but what is the value of a score of 65? It books him in for the rest of the series, shutting the door on Gary Ballance in the process. It is a start, but nothing more. This was a golden chance and he knew he had let it slip through his fingers when he swiped angrily over the top of his stumps after his dismissal.
Watching at the other end was Cook, a man with more hundreds in Test cricket alone than Malan has managed in first-class, one-day and Twenty20 cricket career combined. Cook oozes the sheer mental determination to keep going like an ultra marathon runner. He had already done what comes naturally to the best players: cashing in and never letting go when a gift comes their way.
Malan had done the hard work the night before. He had sat in the pavilion with his pads on for hours contemplating a big innings in his career as Cook and Joe Root batted for 67 overs.
Typically when his chance came Malan had the worst of the conditions, batting in the evening light against the pink ball. He was dropped on two and was troubled by a nasty, if rare, bouncer from Kemar Roach. He was only on seven when the second new ball was due. That West Indies did not take it straight away was perhaps the stroke of luck he needed, aiding his survival cause as he booked into bat the following day.
He admitted to overnight nerves and not sleeping well knowing what was at stake as he restarted on 28. This was his time. The sun was shining, the pink ball was not swinging, the West Indies bowlers were listless and beaten and England were in total control. The threat of the odd magic delivery of the first day from Roach that did for Mark Stoneman had gone. This was a net with the only pressure on Malan coming from within.
At Middlesex Malan is renowned for his work ethic with batting coach Richard Scott likening him to a professional golfer constantly honing his swing. Players can become gripped with anxiety if they want it too badly, but Malan had the balance right here.
There was an obvious focus to choose his strokes more judiciously but this was no grind. He left better outside off stump at the start of his innings than he did against South Africa despite the cover drive being his favourite stroke.
West Indies helped by bowling far wider and potentially feeding his strength than South Africa ever did so there was never the same pressure to play his way out of trouble. It only became a bit frantic when his 50 loomed. On 48 he twice missed cuts, one just falling short of gully, and inside edged a drive on to his pads, but inevitably the bad ball came, a half volley asking to be tucked away for the two runs he needed.
There were three more fours and Malan played some wonderful strokes throughout, but with lunch coming there were warning signs with a big swipe at a wide ball the delivery before he was dismissed poking at a Roston Chase ball that drifted just enough to take the edge. It was drop in focus that in Test cricket can be so costly and was reminiscent of Old Trafford two weeks ago when he went for one drive too many and let a decent start slip away.
Cook must have shook his head at the other end. He will know there will be fewer half volleys in Australia and certainly more bouncers if Malan makes it.
Once again Malan had left you wanting to see more. England are desperate for one of the new players at two, three or five to nail down a place in this series otherwise their progress towards building an Ashes batting line up this summer would be precisely zero.