18 June 2023 , 17:12
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A cricketer who has become largely accustomed to bowling four competitive overs a day bowls 29 competitive overs in a day and gets a sore finger.
Who would have thought it? It really is not as though Moeen Ali and his captain Ben Stokes could not have seen this as a possibility when they agreed on a Test reunion in the wake of the injury to Jack Leach.
But the raw wound on Moeen’s spinning digit is a painful symbol of a gamble that could yet be a decisive factor in Australia’s favour in this first Ashes Test. Moeen managed four inoffensive overs on Sunday morning but it is clear the 36-year-old is in some discomfort.
And why wouldn’t he be? When he took the Dukes ball on Saturday, it was the first time he had turned his arm over in the Test arena for the best part of two years.
And while you can talk about all the work done in the nets, it bears little relation to doing it in the middle against the Aussies. Moeen won’t rip it in the nets like he ripped it when sending a cracker through Cameron Green’s gate.
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Two wickets was a meagre reward for Moeen’s efforts in Australia’s first innings. Considering that long absence, he bowled well and was only a couple of Jonny Bairstow blunders away from posting eye-catching figures.
Moeen is struggling with a blister on his spinning finger, having already bowled 33 overs in his first red ball match in almost two years (Visionhaus/Getty Images)But it was the workload that, quite obviously, took its toll, on his body and on that spinning finger, in particular. And perhaps, late on Saturday, the perspiration was irritating the open sore because Moeen felt compelled to apply a drying spray to his hand in contravention of Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
For that, Moeen - who turned 36 on Sunday - was fined 25 percent of his £15,000 match fee and a ‘demerit point’ was put on his disciplinary record. That ‘demerit point’ will probably hurt the nicest man in cricket more than the financial penalty.
What would hurt England more is if they manage to set Australia a decent target but find their frontline spinner either cannot bowl or cannot bowl without discomfort. And again, that would be a consequence of the punt taken by Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum in turning to a veteran who has not played a game of red ball cricket since September 2021.
Moeen has only bowled more than 33 overs in a Test innings once in England (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)In the commentary box, Sir Alastair Cook was worried, saying: “The other issue, which is actually a concerning one, is Moeen's finger. It doesn't look too bad but it's actually a nasty injury as a spinner. I text Simon Harmer (an off-spinning county team-mate) and what he said, I can't repeat.”
Moeen’s problem might be an irrelevance if Australia roll England over cheaply on Monday and maybe a bit of ointment can work wonders overnight or ahead of the next Test on Wednesday week.
But if Moeen’s sore finger leaves England a weapon short in the battle for this first Test, the gamble will have backfired. And Ben Stokes will have to hold his hand up.