The Big Squeeze

Life inside Jonathan Trott's head must be interesting. There are all of the tics and scratches going on of course, all of the little rituals and obsessions of his batting, the manifestations of the mind's struggle for order and control. Then there is the effect on his psyche of the press's view of him, which even by English standards has been mercurial.

His hundred at the Oval had him anointed England's number three for the next ten years, even though he hadn't actually batted there. After South Africa, where he played one of history's weirdest nine-ball innings, and Bangladesh, where his luck ran out, he was considered fortunate to be in the squad, let alone the team. And now yesterday.

Bangladesh aren't a big test for everybody, but they were a big test for him, and for Morgan and for England's little middle-order goldenballs Ian Bell. After yesterday, the squeeze is on, especially if Morgan gets a few more in style today. World Cup hero Colin Collingwood* has to come back, which means one less seat on the bus.

Who goes? Who knows, but it's now harder for it to be Trott. Morgan is an obvious number six, because he can move matches along and his batting has the wow factor. KP evidently won't move to three, which might allow a bigger shuffle of the deck, so attention once more falls on Bell, the escape artist. His dismissal yesterday was less easily explained away than Pietersen's. KP had just enjoyed one of the weeks of a lifetime - a small comedown is forgivable. Bell was fresh, coming in with runs on the board. He might not bat twice here, which probably leaves him one innings to save his ass. Again.

* As the Prime Minister apparently called him, so he shall henceforth be known...