WE CAN STILL GET A DRAW, SAYS FOAKES
BEN Foakes insists England can still emerge from the wreckage in India with a 2-2 draw.
The beleaguered tourists have been routed by India’s rampant spinners for scores of 134, 164, 112 and 81 on turning tracks since winning the opening match.
On Thursday Joe Root’s side face the unenviable challenge of returning to the scene of their two-day defeat in the day-night third Test for the final match of the series.
Wicketkeeper Foakes admits Chennai and Ahmedabad threw up conditions he has never faced before, but says England’s top order are capable of knuckling down and putting runs on the board.
“From playing on the last two pitches I’ve never seen turn like that. They almost feel like day five pitches from ball one,” Foakes said.
“It’s understanding we are going to get out at times and it’s making peace with a certain way of getting out if it means we can score runs.
“We just have to grind out and try to put runs on the board. It’s not an easy thing to do obviously, but I guess be solid and understand our game plan, and if we get out we get out.
“We’ve been completely outplayed the last two games but we’re still in a position to draw in India and we can put a good performance in and get a 2-2 draw, that would be a really good achievement out here. That’s purely the focus, trying to get that 2-2.”
Foakes’ displays behind the stumps have been one of the few bright spots in England’s back-toback defeats.
The Surrey gloveman’s performances have thrust the England wicketkeeping position back into the spotlight after Jos Buttler returned to the UK following the first Test. But Foakes insists he is not thinking of permanently displacing Buttler.
“Going into the tour it’s obvious Jos is going away to spend some time with his family for a bit,” he added.
SWANSEA City blew the chance to extend their unbeaten home run. Emphatically. The Swans spurned multiple opportunities to bulge the net after a dominant opening half against Bristol City at the Liberty Stadium, although they were punished by Nigel Pearson’s side in emphatic fashion for not taking those chances as their 13-match run without defeat in home league outings was ended.
Fans can universally agree that the first-half display was one of, if not the best 45 minutes of football Steve Cooper’s side have played this season. They can also agree on the fact that Swansea should have ended the game with all three points.
Pearson’s assessment was telling – even more so when he was discussing what was ultimately a 3-1 triumph for his new club.
“Swansea were by far the better side,” he said.
“They dominated possession and our quality on the ball was poor. We had to work so hard out of possession and it was a relentless task just to stay in the game.
“But I have to give the players an unbelievable amount of credit. They stuck to their task and put their bodies on their line.
“Let’s not kid ourselves, we were second best. I couldn’t have had any complaints if we had come in 2-0 or 3-0 down. But that just shows what football is like.”
Jamal Lowe is now without a goal in his last nine Swansea appearances having scored seven in seven games from December to January.
Andre Ayew’s penalty was his 10th strike of the season, although he’s netted just three times in his last 15 Championship outings.
Yan Dhanda has just one goal to his name in 20 appearances for the Swans this term, and his strike at goal in the opening half against the Robins certainly didn’t look to be a confident one. Fan columnist Guto Llewelyn addressed the Swans’ lack of firepower in comparison to their promotion rivals in his most recent column, which was as timely as it was stark as Swansea’s defence uncharacteristically capitulated in the second half after the attack misfired in the opening 45.
Liam Cullen has been Swansea’s only out-and-out number nine since Rhian Brewster left the club last summer.
Earlier in February, club sources played down the chances of a free agent being recruited to bolster Swansea’s attack for the run-in.
But the topic of rotation and substitutions once again bubbled to the surface on social media after the loss to Bristol City.
Cooper made just one change from the 1-0 win over Coventry City, with Joel Latibeaudiere coming in for Kyle Naughton who suffered a minor injury against the Sky
Blues. However, his side’s performance in the first half against the Robins showed exactly why he’s so keen to stick by his best players.
But the timing of the substitutions also proved concerning.
After Ayew beat Dan Bentley from the penalty spot, the Swans’ energy levels dipped, and having dominated for almost two-thirds of the game, Cooper’s side presented the Robins with the chance to get back into it.
Jay Fulton and Korey Smith were both summoned from the bench 20 minutes into the second half of the victory against Coventry, and they played a key role in helping Swansea see out the win – something the Swans have done 16 out of 18 times this season in league matches when they’ve scored first.
The other two matches saw Swansea draw and lose. Both were against Bristol City.
By the time Fulton was introduced against the Robins, just 12 minutes remained, and Kasey Palmer fired his side ahead moments after Fulton entered the pitch.
Paul Arriola and Morgan Whittaker weren’t summoned until Swansea were chasing the game – as was often the case with Viktor Gyokeres.
Rotation before kick-off against Bristol City was not the issue. The first-half performance proved that.
In-game rotation – or rather the lateness of it – was a major factor. The bulk of the second half highlighted as much.
On the whole, Swansea – both the players and coaching staff – have managed games remarkably well this season, particularly when they’ve taken the lead. But the Bristol City outing was a rare occasion where they got it wrong.