Notes from the Oval #2
Tail fails to wag, but Wags gets his tail up as a certain spinner's absence noted
O Ajaz, Ajaz, wherefore art thou Ajaz?
Yes, Ajaz Patel’s startling yet defensible omission from the test squad to face Bangladesh looks a little harder to justify after two days of the first test.
There cannot have been many experts around the country predicting that a weakened Bangladesh side would be in such a position of comfort this deep into the test, not least of all selectors Gary Stead and Gavin Larsen who could soon stand accused of misreading the conditions as badly as Joe Root did at the Gabba a month ago.
Bangladesh’s two spinners - one a specialist, the other part time - combined for 5-92 in the home side’s flatlining first innings of 328, causing many to ponder: If only New Zealand had a fit and available spinner with wicket-taking ability.
My initial thoughts upon learning that Patel would miss selection was that New Zealand Cricket had missed a gilt-edged marketing opportunity by not expanding their squad by one to include the CD spinner. Now it looks like a genuine cricket mistake.
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