So just how good is Jonathan Trott?

[slowfinger]

Last time I checked, having an average of 40 was considered excellent. Now everyone is in that mindset that a 50 average is considered 'acceptable to be considered good'. Trott is one of the most stable batsmen I have seen in a long time that (england )have produced, and I am surprised that people are waving him off. He started too late IMO, he's 30 already, and can't have more than 5 years left. If England are to become a dominant team in the future, though, I see Trott playing a role. He plays to his strengths with perfection, never seen a bowler consistently worry him, either. Doesn't get out, accumulates his runs rather quietly, but I still like it.

 

[zaremba]

It's incredibly hard to give a balanced judgment about him after so few series. He's clearly shown a lot of mental strength, and has a good compact technique etc. But if he has a couple of poor series on the, ahem, trot his average will head south and probably to a more realistic level.

At this stage his FC career average (45 odd) may be the most revealing stat.

 

[slowfinger]

It's incredibly hard to give a balanced judgment about him after so few series. He's clearly shown a lot of mental strength, and has a good compact technique etc. But if he has a couple of poor series on the, ahem, trot his average will head south and probably to a more realistic level.

At this stage his FC career average (45 odd) may be the most revealing stat.

But don't forget his temperament isn't Pietersen-esque that it can drop like that. I think he will get better or stay the same.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I think Trott is class, but a good player, not a great.

His back foot game is not that great, but we were appalling in trying to exploit it. We telegraphed what we ded, when we decided to bowl short, we'd put in a deep backward square leg and bowl shot at him for four overs, for him to pick us off for fun.

Trott does have a vulnerability to the short ball, but you have to bowl well at him for a while, and then chuck the ood one in. He doesn't like leaving the ball that much when he gets in, so he has a dive at it but he's not in the right place to hit it properly. If you bowl well and then put in the odd short ball, it's a big chance. We telegraphed it to him, so it was never effective.

 

[Top_Cat]

Is the biggest problem with the Aussie Test attack right now, all brawn and no smarts. Someone like McG would have made a mess of Trott, I reckon.

 

[Spark]

But don't forget his temperament isn't Pietersen-esque that it can drop like that. I think he will get better or stay the same.

Michael Hussey says hi.

 

[zaremba]

But don't forget his temperament isn't Pietersen-esque that it can drop like that. I think he will get better or stay the same.

We will see how good his temperament is when he has a really bad run of form, which he of course will have before long. He hasn't really been tested yet.

He had a difficult time in SA and as I understand it the SA players got under his skin a bit, although I didn't manage to see too much of the series and might have got that wrong.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

We will see how good his temperament is when he has a really bad run of form, which he of course will have before long. He hasn't really been tested yet.

He had a difficult time in SA and as I understand it the SA players got under his skin a bit, although I didn't manage to see too much of the series and might have got that wrong.

He had a brainfart in the last test of that series, looked like he was trying to play a 20/20 in both innings. They got under his skin totally, not sure they would now he is a settled test player.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Interesting to see Fernando discomfort him with some quick, short stuff today.

 

[slowfinger]

Interesting to see Fernando discomfort him with some quick, short stuff today.

You are like an eagle

 

[Spark]

Interesting to see Fernando discomfort him with some quick, short stuff today.

A few people were saying before the Ashes that that sort of bowling would discomfort him (since he doesn't really have a pull stroke)... but of course our bowlers couldn't bowl to one plan for more than an over, so...

 

[Prince EWS]

A few people were saying before the Ashes that that sort of bowling would discomfort him (since he does really have a pull stroke)... but of course our bowlers couldn't bowl to one plan for more than an over, so...

Yeah I thought Trott would be terrible as a #3 in Australia. He even got out on the pull a couple of times in the tour games to make me think I was really onto something, then it happened.

 

[Woodster]

Yes there's been one or two spells of short, fast bowling to Trott where he has looked less than comfortable, but it's a very draining strategy to continue for any length of time. He's always coming at the bowler and looking to play the ball so if he can get himself into a bit of a muddle with a boucer delivered on the right line about throat high. An area I'll be interested to see if India attempt to exploit in the months ahead.

 

[Spark]

He looked very uncomfortable in both innings in Perth - even when it wasn't swinging. Don't know how many he got in the ODI but I don't think it was many.

 

[kp4captain]

He looked very uncomfortable in both innings in Perth - even when it wasn't swinging. Don't know how many he got in the ODI but I don't think it was many.

14 off 22

 

[Uppercut]

Yes there's been one or two spells of short, fast bowling to Trott where he has looked less than comfortable, but it's a very draining strategy to continue for any length of time. He's always coming at the bowler and looking to play the ball so if he can get himself into a bit of a muddle with a boucer delivered on the right line about throat high. An area I'll be interested to see if India attempt to exploit in the months ahead.

They don't really have the resources to. Incidentally, it isn't the tactic South Africa used in Trott's one unsuccessful test series to date.

Back of a length bowling has gone out of fashion somewhat, it isn't really as effective as it used to be. Maybe it's the pitches, the helmets, the rise of the cut stroke (which Trott doesn't play much). Having trouble against short-pitched bowling is a pretty good weakness to have these days. Not many bowlers are terribly good at it, it's hard to bowl for a prolonged period of time and it tends to make batsmen look uncomfortable rather than get them out. If Trott's concentration and strengths in other areas remain as good as they've been so far then he can definitely reach ATG standard in spite of a vulnerability to back-of-a-length bowling. Massive "if" though, obvz.

Although if Richard was around he'd probably be speculating on how Trott would've done against Ambrose or Holding, then pointing to his lack of runs in the theoretical matches going on in his head as evidence that he isn't actually that good.

 

[vcs]

They don't really have the resources to. Incidentally, it isn't the tactic South Africa used in Trott's one unsuccessful test series to date.

Back of a length bowling has gone out of fashion somewhat, it isn't really as effective as it used to be. Maybe it's the pitches, the helmets, the rise of the cut stroke (which Trott doesn't play much). Having trouble against short-pitched bowling is a pretty good weakness to have these days. Not many bowlers are terribly good at it, it's hard to bowl for a prolonged period of time and it tends to make batsmen look uncomfortable rather than get them out. If Trott's concentration and strengths in other areas remain as good as they've been so far then he can definitely reach ATG standard in spite of a vulnerability to back-of-a-length bowling. Massive "if" though, obvz.

Although if Richard was around he'd probably be speculating on how Trott would've done against Ambrose or Holding, then pointing to his lack of runs in the theoretical matches going on in his head as evidence that he isn't actually that good.

This is true, Gambhir is another good example.

 

[zaremba]

Although if Richard was around he'd probably be speculating on how Trott would've done against Ambrose or Holding, then pointing to his lack of runs in the theoretical matches going on in his head as evidence that he isn't actually that good.

TBF to Richard he was advocating Trott's inclusion back in 2008 or 2009.

 

[Uppercut]

This is true, Gambhir is another good example.

Yep. Raina in ODIs is another one. People were calling for him to be dropped during the Champions Trophy a couple of years back because he couldn't handle the short ball, but despite looking like it was a major issue he'd actually only got out to it a handful of times in his ODI career. For Indian batsmen it matters even less because bouncing someone out just isn't an option on most of the pitches they play on.

 

[Spark]

It does look a problem in Test cricket tbf. Make to look like a proper goose by Hilfenhaus when the Mohali pitch started to spice up.