West Indies vs England: Jonathan Trott’s nightmare deepens as England suffer early setbacks

Trott was dismissed for a third-ball duck as he continues to struggle in the West Indies

Jonathan Trott departs for a duck in the third test against the West Indies (Getty Images)

Nothing in sport stirs the soul so much as the man who comes back. The notion of treading the path to glory again – perhaps just one more time – has an unmatched resonance, demanding as it inevitably does the overcoming of adversity and a determination to show the world and perhaps yourself that you still have what it takes.

That is what was meant to happen with Jonathan Trott. Unfortunately, there is a sad downside to the magnetic power of the wonderful return. It can all go horribly wrong.

In the case of Trott it could hardly have gone more wrong. It was not simply that he was out for nought in England’s first innings of the first Test, his third duck of the series, but also the hapless manner of his dismissal.

England found themselves an early wicket down for the fourth time in five innings of this series, far from ideal. It seemed to undermine the rest of the order. Two more wickets went down all too quickly before lunch and early in the afternoon they lost a fourth. Their captain, Alastair Cook, was trying to marshal the rebuilding exercise.

Trott had dealt adequately with his first two balls of the morning from Shannon Gabriel. They were quick but he shuffled determinedly across his crease to both and played them down the wicket. The third was a bouncer, aimed at Trott’s ribcage. It was precisely the sort of ball that left him looking so desperately fragile in Brisbane those 18 months ago when he was forced to depart the Ashes tour.

Trott made it his mission to be recalled by England. In his mind, and obviously in the minds of others, there was unfinished business. He worked hard, he scored runs, he found a psychologist who was said to have transformed him.

The bouncer came down. Trott reacted spontaneously. He could, should have left the thing it. That should be his default reaction. Instead he ducked into it and attempted limply to play it. The shot was neither a pull nor a flick. The ball looped from his pad to square leg, who took the catch diving forward.

It looked dreadful. It was dreadful. Poor Trott shuffled off towards the Garfield Sobers Pavilion, where the dressing rooms are housed. His mind must have been full of a thousand things, all of which came down to one question: how has it come to this?

Trott’s scores in this series, his first since the Brisbane debacle, have been 0, 4, 59, 0, 0. The selectors will rue their decision to bring him back now.

There was not, in truth, a place in the side for him. He had batted for most of an illustrious England career at No 3 but that berth had been taken.

There was, however, a gap as opener, a position in the order that Trott had never filled. In their wisdom the selectors decided he was the man for the job. Trott assured everybody that things had changed.

It is possible still that he could save his skin with a heroic performance in the second innings. That does not seem likely, however, and were it to happen there is the immediate future to consider. Australia – and New Zealand, the first tourists of the summer, for that matter – have been watching closely.

By exposing Trott so brutally yesterday, Gabriel may have been doing everyone a favour. Trott should have had no regrets. He has given it all, but those who picked him for this tour would do well to reflect on their decision.

As Trott’s dismissal indicated there was a little more life in the pitch than for the previous two matches, but Cook and Gary Ballance were untroubled.

Ballance was bowled by Jason Holder, the ball sneaking through bat and pad. That might have suggested batsman error but it was a probing ball. The one that did for Ian Bell in Holder’s next over was slower and Bell was through his shot much too early, offering a return catch.

At 38 for 3 England’s pre-match intention to take the match away from West Indies by grinding out the first hour was sunk. Although Joe Root looked majestic again, he was out caught behind to Veerasammy Permaul’s left-arm spin.