Is the choke on England?

Perhaps that could be the explanation why England,led by the Jo’burg-born Andrew Strauss and containing three other South Africans in their first XI,spectacularly snatched a tie from the jaws of a sure-shot win. Trivia: which was the last team to do so at a World Cup?

While it would have been hard to better that,England somehow did,in the very next match. Against Ireland,they panicked again,incredibly losing a match that was theirs when they had reduced the Associate team to 111 for five,having set them a target of 328.

South Africa balanced,confident

So here they are,closer to the exit door than the one that opens into the quarter-finals,with three tough games in the offing. The first is probably the most difficult,against,ironically,South Africa. Not the vulnerable,backs-against-the-wall South Africa,but one that induces fear,all the more if there’s little at stake for them.

Graeme Smith and Co are not only topping the charts with two convincing wins in two matches,but with 11 World Cup debutants in their ranks,they are looking like a team that carries no baggage,and seems stable enough to go the distance. Like they always do in the group stages.

While both teams have a top-heavy batting order that has clicked in the tournament,South Africa hold an edge over England purely because of their bowling – and fielding. Smith has the luxury of a bowling attack that has conceded a miserly 342 runs in two matches.

He could be tempted to thank his own country’s immigration law for that,for it has given their bowling department the balance on the sub-continental tracks,an outright advantage in the form of the Pakistan-born Imran Tahir. The leg-spinner has justified his inclusion in the squad by picking up seven wickets in two matches.”He gives us a really attacking option which is exciting,” said Smith. “From a captain’s point of view,his variation is unpredictable. He’s certainly added impetus to our attack,especially through the middle periods. “All in all we have a side with more variations.”

English hopes rest on Swann

While the Proteas are upbeat,England can take heart in the fact that they hold a 7-1 edge over South Africa in the nine games they have played since their nine-wicket thrashing at Bridgetown when the two sides met at this stage last time around. More than that,however,Strauss will pin his hopes on Graeme Swann,given that his medium pacers,expect for Tim Bresnan,have fallen short of expectations.

Widely regarded by the British media,that is – as the best spinner in the world,Swann has had a mixed World Cup. After joining the team one day before England opened their campaign,Swann didn’t take time to find his rhythm,scalping two for 35 against the Netherlands,even as his team mates were hammered all over the park when the Dutch piled up 292.

Against India,he was expensive,giving away 59 for just one wicket (Gautam Gambhir),but on a day when 776 runs were scored,those figures still look respectable. In the next match,Swann took three wickets for 49 to have Ireland in a spot of bother. But he finished his quota of overs early,Ireland took the batting powerplay,and rest was history.

The fact that the action has shifted to the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai should come as good news to England. The wicket is expected to be bouncier and could offer some assistance to the bowlers early on,while the drier surface in the afternoon could assist spin.

One thing England need summon more that anything else is the desire to win. Having gotten so many of their players,this time England might as well borrow an idea from South Africa wrong-footing Smith and Co by opening with the off-spinner should they happen to be bowling in the afternoon.