Being axed was tough but right, admits Bess
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.’
The Yorkshire off-spinner is 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, Yorkshire have signed seamer Lockie Ferguson for the 2021 Vitality Blast campaign.
The New Zealand international is expected to be available to play in all of the Vikings’ group matches.
Ferguson said: “I’m really excited to have signed for Yorkshire for the upcoming T20 Blast. I have really fond memories of my time in the county game back in 2018 and look forward to getting back over to the UK.
“It’s a big year for T20 cricket with the T20 World Cup towards the end of the year, so regular top level T20 cricket throughout the year, particularly at such a big county, is hugely beneficial.”