SADLY, NO WAY BACK FROM HERE

ENGLAND had to play Jonathan Trott in all three Tests here to find out whether he could recreate his form of the past but sadly they can draw a line under him now. It is the mode of that dismissal to his third ball of the third Test rather than the dismissal itself that gives such cause for concern over Trott. That dismissal, to the first short ball he received, would have sent shockwaves through Trott’s mind and the England dressing room. You can imagine Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris or any fast bowler licking their lips after watching that. Even if Trott gets runs in the second innings that should not make any difference because of the way he got out to Shannon Gabriel. His problems have been a combination of mental and technical. Issues that have surfaced with his technique have led to mental angst and a frenetic manner in his anxiousness to do well. It gives me no pleasure to say that because the bloke has been through hell to be back here playing for England. There will be a lot of people saying ‘I told you so’ but you have to feel sorry for the lad. He has been one of England’s great No 3s so they were entitled to find out whether he still had it or not. Just imagine if Trott goes back to county cricket and again smashes runs for Warwickshire while, perhaps, someone else is struggling against Australia. There would have been a clamour for him to come back again but now we know that his problems against the short ball are too serious to overcome. It is a surprise that it has taken bowlers so long to work out how to exploit Trott’s weaknesses. His trigger movements, and the fact that every now and then he walks at the bowler, means vulnerability against the short ball. There have not been many top batsmen who walk at the bowler like that. Let’s remember the way Trott was and his contribution to a side who were No 1 in the world in Test and one-day cricket when he was at his best. When he was at his peak he brought a calmness to the England team which unfortunately he is lacking now. Adam Lyth was brought here as the spare opener and it would be illogical for England to turn to anyone else for the two Tests against New Zealand. Alex Hales has been scoring big runs for Notts in the First Division of the LV= County Championship and that’s got to be great for English cricket but Lyth (left) has done nothing wrong here and should not be overtaken now. For now we must have sympathy for Jonathan Trott but accept that a fine England career is coming to an end.