From Zero to Hero to Absolutely Freezing Zero in just a few short months.

Here is Ravi Bopara’s Test career to date:

8, 34, 0, 0, 0, 104, 143, 108, 35, 1, 18, 27, 23, 1, 0

And now he seems to be doing something similar with his ODI and Twenty20 career. Out for a duck against Ireland in the sole ODI. And out for a single against Australia in the Twenty20 match. If he continues at this pace, surely his international career will be over, or at least, put on the back burner for a long time. Even if England cricket is overflowing with talent.

Bopara has never been even a decent player (batting averages of 33.46, 28.93 and 22.71 in the three forms), but his three centuries seems to signal that maybe he was turning over a new leaf. He had done enough against the West Indies to survive until the fourth Ashes Test, but then his poor form was too much even for England.

If he hasn’t been dropped already for the next match, Bopara should be on a very short rope. He needs to come up with something to justify his selection.