Ian Bell by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

---

Player:

IR Bell

---

DateLine: 11th January 2010

 

Ian Bell is one of the most talented English batsmen in the current set-up as he simply oozes class as he takes guard at the crease. One of the leading English daily had once described him as an "exquisite rapier" due to his classy shot-making ability. Bell's immense footwork and knowledge of his off stump drew comparisons with Michael Atherton, and he was brought into the Test side, to bat at poisoned number 3 spot. Bell debuted against the West Indies in 2004 and later that year made his maiden appearance in the ODIs against Zimbabwe.

 

Bell has a glorious start to his career as he punished a hapless Bangladeshi bowlers to strike a couple of sublime centuries but during the epic Ashes 2005 McGrath and Warne did not take long to sort out the diminutive right-hander thus sending him into a downward spiral of loss of form. The selectors persisted with him for some time but Bell could not recover from the McGrath-Warne assault and was subsequently dropped. After seeking advice from Alec Stewart to assert himself at the crease, he struck three elegant centuries in successive Tests against Pakistan and went to Australia with a new-found belief. He managed four elegant half-centuries to confirm his stature as a genuine Test batsman though he could not prevent his side from a humiliating 5-0 whitewash.

 

Yet for all his class, the doubts persisted in his inability to convert fifties into match-turning hundreds and more importantly about his mental strength. Soon once again he found out of favour with the selectors but when the much celebrated Bopara failed during Ashes 2009 he was drafted back into the squad. He celebrated his recall with a pair of half-centuries in three Tests, including a gutsy 72 on the first day of the final Test at The Oval. He was under immense pressure after failing twice in the opening Test against South Africa at Centurion. However he responded with a sublime 140 to help set up an innings victory for England in the second Test at Durban, before helping to save the next match at Cape Town with a gutsy five-hour 78.