Giles is the best spinner in ENG, and is selected on that basis.

However, Giles has been a reasonably effective negative bowler for a few seasons now and every time he has been to Asia he has actually done very creditably. A few years back, Giles bowled a world class spell that won a game against PAK in PAK. The ball he bowled Inzi with was an absolute jaffa - it floated, dipped, beat him all ends up and then turned square and zoomed into his off stump having pitched outside leg. But he'd never made a ball turn much outside of Asia, so none of us paid much attention.

Post-Vaughan, he has been allowed to attack outside of Asia, as he has been in it in the past, and we have all been absolutely amazed to see him taking wickets - good wickets - and doing it cheaply. The ball he bowled Lara in his 9 wicket haul in the third test last summer was another absolute Jaffa - it floated, dipped beat him in the air and came in from well outside off to break the stumps. Same as the Inzi ball, but to a leftie. The point is that Edgbaston, though it is Gilo's home ground, is not a raging spinner of any kind. So now we are all thinking - wait on? Is Gilo actually a decent spinner - not a great one, but a test class one - who has been poorly captained all these years?

He remains a negaitve bowler, but he is now mixing some attacking balls in which the stodge. SA have been totally unable to get after him in this series, and when they have tried they have lost wickets - as in thier first innings in this test.

In current form, you'd have to say Gilo was test class. His battings improved too. Maybe he just needed a bit of confidence and for his skipper to show a bit of faith in him.

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Still, a man hears what he wants to hear

And disregards the rest.