England came up with a clinical show in Sri Lanka to win the Test series 3-0. However, the all-rounder Moeen Ali was visibly frustrated with the constant change in the batting slot. In the first Test match at Galle, Moeen batted at the number three spot. He had an ordinary outing; getting dismissed for a duck and three runs. In the next Test, the southpaw scored 10 runs in each of the two innings.
However, in the warm-up match, Moeen Ali had batted down the order. Although, he was asked to bat at one down in the first Test match against Sri Lanka.
Moeen Ali not happy with constant shuffling in batting order
He did a tad better in the final Test, scoring 33 and 22 at Colombo. The batter took a guard at the seventh and ninth spot during the warm-up games but was made to face the new ball upfront in the Tests.
“Yes, I wasn’t quite sure actually because in the warm-up games I batted seven and nine and then I was told I was going to bat at three,” he told Sky Sports Cricket on Tuesday.
It isn’t new to me: Moeen
Moeen said that the constant shuffle in the line-up isn’t something new to him. He had to pad up early on certain occasions during the home series against India.
“Then after one game, I went down to six and seven. I’ve had that before so it’s not new to me. It can be frustrating but when you think about the side and what the team needs at the time then you kind of get over it and try to move on and try to do the best you can as a cricketer for England.”
He scalped 18 wickets with the ball and proved to be a vital addition in the side. The constant tinkering in the batting order majorly led to his failure with the bat. He said that there was hardly a hit in the match-practice he got at the particular position. The all-rounder didn’t see it coming for obvious reasons.
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“I think it’s difficult to be consistent. I never had that match practice at three. The openers opened in the practice games, Joe Root batted four, I batted five or six and that can be quite frustrating because you haven’t been that three in the first two practice games and then you’re in the Test match and batting at three.“ he said.
A constant chop and change can unsettle a batsman and it has been the same case for Moeen Ali. However, Ali will like to keep contributing to the team’s success.
