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Morgan eager to take unexpected chance

Eoin Morgan wants to learn from the experience of his first two Test matches after Ian Bell's broken foot created an unexpected chance for him to push a claim for an Ashes spot

Cricinfo staff
20-Jul-2010
Eoin Morgan will be aiming to prove his game is suited to Test cricket over the next month  •  Getty Images

Eoin Morgan will be aiming to prove his game is suited to Test cricket over the next month  •  Getty Images

Eoin Morgan wants to learn from the experience of his first two Test matches after Ian Bell's broken foot created an unexpected chance for him to push a claim for an Ashes spot. Morgan admitted he put extra pressure on himself against Bangladesh and now wants to take on Pakistan in a more relaxed state of mind
With Paul Collingwood rested for England's first series of the season Morgan was given the opportunity at No. 6 and, although he looked comfortable while compiling scores of 44 and 37, he twice wasted the opportunity to build something more substantial against a weak attack. With Collingwood returning to the five-day fold against Pakistan Morgan was going to be the man to make way, but he is now eager to make the most of a second opportunity following Bell's injury against Bangladesh.
"I like to take my chances and be as relaxed about it as possible. Against Bangladesh it was different because I was probably building it up more than I should have," he told the Press Association. "I was a bit anxious when I went out to bat but when I was out there I was quite relaxed, it was fine.
"Test-match cricket is the ultimate,"he added. "I won't be satisfied finishing my career just being good at the shorter forms of the game."
The prospect of playing in the Ashes has arrived very quickly for Morgan who 12 months ago wasn't an established member of the England side in any format. He is still trying to grasp his swift elevation which has already seen him become a key component of the one-day and Twenty20 units.
"I only came into the side a year ago and a lot has happened since then, if I have another year like this, I will be very happy," he said during a Jaguar Academy for Sport event. "But it means taking every opportunity as it comes. The last time England played in Australia in an Ashes series in 2006-07, I was in South Africa with Ireland at a training camp. So playing in an Ashes series was a million miles away and it was the same for me last year."
Whenever Morgan's Test future is discussed his underwhelming first-class record is a talking point. His average stands at 36.65 and due to his development as a Twenty20 cricketer he has had very few outings in the longer formats in the last 12 months. When he plays for Middlesex against Sussex this week it will be his first Championship match since August 2009, but Morgan isn't overly concerned about bridging the gap to Test cricket.
"The England captain [Andrew Strauss] has seen me play at Middlesex enough times to know what I am like," he said. "I need to get a lot of runs because the competition for places is fierce. I will be looking to get as many runs as I can. You have a longer time to get in and you can bat all day. Sometimes you might have to dig in and sometimes you might have to lash it."
Strauss, who will also play against Sussex in preparation for the series against Pakistan, is confident Morgan can translate his limited-overs form into Test matches.
"Eoin's two greatest strengths are that he can play the situation exceptionally well in the shorter forms of the game and he has the game to adapt to any conditions he encounters," Strauss said. "There is no reason why he can't bring that strength to Test cricket. He has a clear mind, reads the situation well, and he can play in a number of different ways.
"That flexibility is a great strength and if he does get the chance to play, it will be great to see him transfer that from the shorter form into the longer form of the game. There is no reason in my mind at least that he cannot go on and have a successful Test career as well."