Four-horse race for six

If the County Championship is limbering into arthritic April action, it must be time for a debate about who bats at six in the order for England.

We may be beyond 'Who is the new Ian Botham?' but life's eternal mystery remains unsolved.

Back in January's post-Ashes bliss this looked a non-question. Eoin Morgan is an extravagantly gifted batsman with a temperament to match, a recently anointed Wisden Cricketer of the Year who deserves an extended chance in five-day cricket.

But two things stand against the Dubliner.

First, Morgan is with the Kolkata Knight Riders right now rather than Middlesex. Perhaps this shouldn't matter. Certainly it wouldn't if he were an established Test batsman since Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood have gone from IPL to England colours in previous years without punishment.

But the left-hander is not established. It is more than fusty traditionalism to question if Morgan should be passing up the chance to fine-tune his long game. We know he can score ODI and T20 runs, but no matter what he does for KKR, if he fails in successive Tests against Sri Lanka the lack of preparation will be held against him.

Secondly, he can't bowl. Not even a little bit. Collingwood, the man he would replace, was nobody's idea of a Test bowler (if you discount that mad period of public pronouncements from Duncan Fletcher in praise of Colly's scrambled seam) but represented a valuable insurance policy.

England have strength in bowling depth - essentially, two four-man attacks that can take 20 wickets in home conditions. For pragmatists like Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss, though, that insurance policy will appeal. A number-six batsman who can deliver 10 overs an innings of innocuous medium pace is not to be discounted.

Step forward, Ravi Bopara. The Essex batsman has enjoyed tremendous press for turning down Collingwood's IPL berth with Rajasthan for a shot at the Durham man's Test spot. The England batting coach Graham Gooch is also his mentor and has clearly influenced the decision.

Gooch's own view on the IPL as a Test training ground was clear when he said of Bopara: "He can't further his cause in the IPL, however many runs he gets." That must stand for Morgan as well, and this is a man Flower and his players listen to.

All talk of a shock overtaking is on the back burner, however. To date Bopara has made 56 runs in four trips to the wicket with Essex, and that sort of form cannot further his cause either.

One man who has made runs is Samit Patel. The Nottinghamshire man has eaten up opposition attacks, feasting on runs, et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseam.

Of the three contenders he is by far the most serious bowler. Indeed he is the only plausible batting all-rounder at England's disposal, even if. like Morgan. you'd expect him to have more success in limited-overs cricket. But it is less than three months since he missed out on a World Cup spot due to his weight.

So many chances has Patel had, turning up in such a state was tantamount to telling Flower and Strauss where to stick their international career. It will take more than one four-day knock to convince the selectors of his commitment, and he is hardly a like-for-like replacement for Collingwood where athleticism is concerned.

Such is the ridiculous county schedule Bopara and Patel have a further four and three games respectively before that first Test in Cardiff. Morgan will have to start against Sri Lanka if he comes back safely from the IPL but the pressure to perform will be instant. It will not take too many failures for the enquiry to re-open.

If Bopara has not made a case by that stage then a form horse such as Patel or Andrew Gale will come into contention. The ability to bowl offers an advantage over Morgan as well as the best young batsman in the country, James Taylor of Leicestershire.