Master Moeen is the man of many talents
MOEEN ALI might have a long wait to become the top order batsman and second spinner he feels would make best use of his all-round talents.
He looked perfectly suited instead to the counter-attacking slot at No 7 and then as England’s frontline spinner yesterday as he became the second-quickest Englishman to reach the ‘double’ of 2,000 Test runs and a hundred wickets.
Certainly, there seemed little threat on this second day of the first Investec Test to his status at Lord’s from Liam Dawson, who did nothing to justify one of the more baffling England selections in recent memory.
If Moeen remains a somewhat reluctant bowler, it is clear that he is still his country’s best Test slow bowling option. He proved it once again on an unusually dry Lord’s pitch by claiming two key wickets as South Africa replied to England’s 458.
Yet, on a surface that justified England’s decision to play two frontline spinners for the first time in a Lord’s Test since 1993, Dawson, who was dismissed for a second-ball duck, could not provide penetrative support.
This was again England’s day as Moeen and Stuart Broad led both their batting and bowling efforts, but South Africa will still hope, at 214 for five, that they can maintain an unbeaten Test run at Lord’s stretching back to 1960.
Their desire to avoid defeat here in the series opener was heightened last night with the news that fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will be banned for the second Test at Trent Bridge after pleading guilty to using ‘inappropriate language’ towards Ben Stokes after dismissing the England batsman on Thursday.
Yesterday, Dawson appeared to owe his surprise selection to his ability to bring control, with Moeen sometimes proving expensive as he continues his quest to replace Graeme Swann.
Yet far from applying pressure to this fragile-looking South African batting line-up, Dawson proved the weakest link in England’s six-man attack as he disappeared for 45 runs from eight overs.
Moeen took advantage of the turn in the pitch firstly by trapping Hashim Amla and then reaching three figures in his 38th Test by removing Dean Elgar.
What to make of England’s decision to jettison Adil Rashid, who took 30 wickets in seven Tests last winter, and ignore the coming leg-spinning man in Mason Crane to hand this opportunity to Dawson?
Rashid’s tally might have flattered him in Bangladesh and India, but he started this summer with South Africa struggling to pick his googly in white-ball cricket and seemingly worthy of another chance to prove his Test worth.
England have already said they see Crane as a candidate to play in the Ashes this winter, so it would have made perfect sense to blood him now.
It can only be assumed Joe Root wanted Dawson, as he insisted on Gary Ballance in his line-up, but so far, apart from under-bowling Moeen yesterday, they have been the only decisions the new captain has got wrong.
Root looked to go very big after his perfect opening day but could add just six to his overnight 184 before Morne Morkel dismissed him and Dawson in the space of three balls.
It was left to Moeen and Broad to get England beyond the score of 400 they believed would allow them to dictate terms, but not before South Africa made the last of the numerous faux pas in a shocking fielding display.
Stand-in captain Elgar, with two reviews at his disposal, failed to challenge Paul Reiffel’s decision to turn down Vernon Philander’s strong shout for lbw with England seven down. Broad would have been given out on four on review.
How Broad made the most of his reprieve, smacking successive sixes off Morkel to go to his first Test half century in four years.
Rabada removed Moeen and Mark Wood in three balls but Jimmy Anderson joined Broad to pull Rabada for a big six of his own in a partnership of 45 off just 27 balls.
Broad produced a real beauty to have Heino Kuhn caught at slip, before Moeen was equally adept in ripping an off-break past the defences of Amla.
Moeen changed ends to claim Elgar, who hung around for 118 balls in making 54, and Broad got JP Duminy leg-before as England seized control.
Temba Bavuma provided muchneeded resistance in a stand of 99 with Theunis de Bruyn. Yet, just as South Africa looked likely to reach the close without further alarm, Anderson took the edge of De Bruyn’s bat to claim his 468th Test wicket.
This pitch can only offer more assistance to spin, which will give Dawson another chance today to justify his inclusion. If he doesn’t take it, England will surely look elsewhere for Trent Bridge next week, whatever happens over the next three days.