Trott's apology to Pietersen shows steel

Durban : Every team has a pecking order and by apologising to Kevin Pietersen for the run out that almost scuppered England's chances of saving the first Test on Sunday, Jonathan Trott would appear to be deferring to his superior.

Yet Trott, blameless in all respects for the mix-up, also had the chance of sacrificing himself in place of Pietersen while on the field, but he defiantly chose not to do so by turning his back on him.

Why do one and not the other? Because words cost him nothing while actions would have cost him his wicket and the chance to play another impressive innings for England in only his second Test.

By taking those options, Trott simultaneously showed he is not only flint hard but also sympathetic to the team dynamic.

In his newspaper column on Sunday, Nasser Hussain, once as prone as Pietersen to taking crazy runs, reckoned Trott should apologise to Pietersen in front of the whole team in order to play to his colleague's ego.

Not short of an ego himself, and therefore understanding the need to apply some balm for the team good, Trott did not need prompting.

"I was icing my finger back in the changing room and when KP stood up I said ‘sorry about the misunderstanding'," Trott said here, where England begin the second Test on Boxing Day.

"He said, ‘No problem, it's not an issue at all.' I didn't feel I needed to apologise, it's just what team-mates do."

It would have been a massive issue had England lost the match, something they almost contrived to do after losing five wickets in 67 balls during the final hour of play.

But for No11 Graham Onions, whose admirably cool head and impeccably straight bat saw out the final over, the recriminations might even have ruined England's Christmas.

Partnership

"It's just one of those things in cricket that happen, but has a spotlight on it," said Trott, who shared a 145-run partnership with Pietersen during the innings.

"Everything happens in a split second, so you aren't quite sure what the other person is thinking. When I shouted ‘No', I went back and thought he would have time to slam on the brakes and get back himself.

"I'd left my ground and I wasn't sure whether he'd passed me by the time I'd got my bat down. I asked the umpire who was out and he said KP was. It's like a nightmare, that one where you can't get your pads on in time to go out to bat.

"It was sad way for our partnership to end. KP is very positive in the middle. It rubs off on me and has a good effect on the batting in general. But we move on and I look forward to batting with him in the future."

With a hundred and an Ashes winner's medal in his first Test, and an impressive defensive innings of 69 in his second, Trott's future looks very bright indeed.

While those two innings prove he has the mental fortitude to thrive at this level, he is not yet the complete batsman, as his dismissal in the first innings at Centurion revealed.

He was bowled by Paul Harris there having a slog, but only after the spinner had tied him down.

At the moment he is either block or slog against spinners and needs a reliable get-off-strike shot if he is to avoid that vicious trap.

He may also need to reconsider his pre-ball routine, which seems to be driving Graeme Smith, South Africa's captain, to distraction. Trott held up his bowlers more than once to go through his list of mental checks before facing them. He was warned about it by the umpires here in the one-day series.

— The Telegraph Group Limited, London 2009