Bess 'chucked under the bus' by selection call

Former England paceman Steve Harmison says Dom Bess has been "chucked under the bus" after his struggles with the ball helped India turn the tide on day two of the fourth Test.

India ended 89 runs ahead on 7-294, leaving England to rue an uneven attack that had been thinned out to make room for an extra batsman and featured out-of-sorts spinner Bess.

His form on his return to the side left England even more vulnerable, as he was trusted with just 15 overs and finished wicketless at a cost of 56.

Former England captain Andrew Strauss said he felt sorry for the 23-year-old, but Harmison gave a sympathetic hearing, questioning the spinner's treatment on the tour

After taking 17 wickets at 22 each in the first three Tests of the winter, Bess was dropped for Moeen Ali, who was then asked to delay a planned rest period and remain with the squad.

Had he agreed, Bess would probably not have taken the field in Ahmedabad.

"Dom Bess was chucked under the bus by the whole hullabaloo with Moeen Ali," Harmison told TalkSport.

"The minute they asked Moeen Ali to stay was the minute Bess was going under that bus. That, for me, was a downward spiral for a young kid who has played very few Test matches.

"He sat and watched for the last two or three weeks and all he can think about is Moeen Ali staying, 'everybody's wanting Moeen Ali'.

"That's culminated in the day's cricket that we've got today. I feel so sorry for the kid, I really do. I have so much sympathy with him, I've been in that place and I know where he's at.

"The selection hasn't helped him either. Not having an extra bowler has magnified it. That will put him under even more mental pressure.

"He'll feel even worse for not performing. It's such a dark and lonely place when you're out there. I hate to bring it up to magnify it, but that dressing room will be on eggshells about how to treat Dom Bess."

Strauss said it was obvious that Bess was short of confidence.

"On a human level, I really feel for him," he told Channel 4. "This is a guy who is lacking confidence on the biggest stage of all.

"In a low-scoring game, you have to perform, but on a performance level it was well below what's required of a mainline Test spin bowler.

"Too many full-tosses, too many half-trackers, not able to build pressure, and it was painful to watch, if I’m honest. I felt slightly sorry for him at points, and you just can’t have that in Test cricket."

England spin bowling coach Jeetan Patel admitted things had not gone to plan on Bess's return, but denied that being dropped earlier in the series had dented his confidence.

"It probably looks like that but I wouldn't say that at all," he said. "He needed a break, if I am being honest.

"He was tired after that first Test and it affected how the ball was bowled but he was very excited coming into this Test match. He was ready, he was prepped.

"He would have liked to have bowled a lot better and given a lot more to the group but it didn't work out and India played him very well. They sat on him and looked for balls to score when they could.

"Right now he will be quite down and quite tired but the beauty of this game is that there is another opportunity tomorrow for him."

- with cricket.com.au