Test pressure not too hot for Jonathan Trott

Trott, the latest South Africa born player to pin his colours to the England mast, was not playing his first international at the Brit Oval because two Twenty20s against West Indies in 2007 saw him contribute just 11 runs to the cause.

But when Trott walked out to bat against Australia yesterday - with the Ashes at stake and the opposition on a high after dismissing Andrew Strauss - the 28-year-old knew he had arrived in the big time.

Australia promised they would make it tough for him. And they did, by both word and action, with a few comments clearly aimed in his direction and even spinner Marcus North giving him a bouncer.

Turn back the clock four years, and nip across the Thames to Lord's, and it was Kevin Pietersen - another player born and bred in South Africa - facing the music while making his Test debut in an Ashes match.

Pietersen managed a couple of half-centuries on that occasion, and Trott might well have had a 50 of his own yesterday but for a brilliant piece of work at short leg by Simon Katich.

Instead of getting runs for a firm clip off North, Trott was run out and had to head back to the pavilion, unfulfilled, after making 41.

The Warwickshire batsman is not the next Pietersen, because KP comes from a mould that will only be used the once. But, on the admittedly brief evidence of an 81-ball innings containing five fours, Trott could be a member of England's middle order for quite some time.

"Trotty looked like he was playing for Warwickshire," said county and now Test colleague Ian Bell. "He's been in very good form, his feet were going well and he didn't look out of place at all.

"It's a good start for him and hopefully he can take confidence from that and kick on."