Graeme Swann is truly mystifying absentee

England have to take something out of this game, somehow, and go to Lord's only 1-0 down. They have to put South Africa under some pressure before the end of this second Test, so the tourists think 'This England side can beat us and square the series'.

Unfortunately, Lord's is the last place in England where you would want to go when you need to get a result. There have been a lot of high-scoring draws there in recent years. Maybe, after the Olympic archery, the pitch won't have had as much rolling as normal, but it will still be pretty hard for England to take 20 wickets there.

England haven't looked like taking 20 wickets recently. They are not so much the No?1 Test side as one who have lost five of their last nine Tests: that is where they are mentally and in terms of confidence.

But whatever else they do, they will have to bring Graeme Swann back for Lord's, and pick their three best seamers - Jimmy Anderson along with the two bowling best at the time, whether it's Stuart Broad or Graeme Onions or Steve Finn or Tim Bresnan - then hope they get some cloud cover.

It was a brave decision not to play Swann here. I think it was a mistake but it was a brave decision and you open yourself up to criticism when you make one that goes wrong.

I know Swann didn't bowl well here in 2009 and hasn't taken a Test wicket at Headingley, but Monty Panesar bowled nicely here in 2007 against Pakistan, and I would have played Swann this time: he has been so good in the era of DRS, and he didn't bowl badly at the Oval, and South Africa have three left-handers in their top seven.

But the way to put pressure on South Africa would have been to bat first, even after picking four seamers and no Swann. It is easy to captain at Headingley if you keep things simple: bat first if it's sunny, and bowl if it's cloudy.

The way to exert pressure would have been to bat first, put runs on the board, then use those four seamers - especially Steve Finn with his extra pace - to use the up-and-down bounce that you get here on days three, four and five. Four seamers, and no Swann, could have worked. Instead, it has felt like a panicky week for England. Broad said after the first day that the ball might go underground before the end, so why did England bowl first?

Part of the trouble is that this England side have hardly played at Headingley. They used to play a lot here when it was a regular Test venue but that's not the case any more, and the bowlers on day one took time to find out which end suited them. By the time they had worked it out, South Africa were 120 for none. To bowl them out for 300 more runs from there was about par, even though it wouldn't have justified their decision to bowl first.

Broad found it difficult coming down the slope from the Kirkstall Lane end. When he took the second new ball from the rugby stand end he found his zip and confidence - you have to remember he hadn't taken a Test wicket since Shiv Chanderpaul in the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge. Anderson gives nothing away now - a few years ago he might have conceded 50 more runs than he did here. Bresnan always does a job for his captain. Finn's pace was okay but he was little short in his length first time around, and in South Africa's second innings the pitch should suit him - if England can stay in the game.

South Africa's bowlers, by contrast, have looked at home here. They have a perfect pace attack for these conditions: Vernon Philander supplying the accuracy, Morne Morkel peppering away and whacking the cracks, then Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis coming on, hanging it out there and offering the carrots. And they have made the ball swing.

England's batsmen have been worn down. I played exactly the same shot here against Kallis in 2003 as Ian Bell did yesterday (Saturday). After being tied down, you see it, go for it and nick it.

Kevin Pietersen was outstanding, but South Africa have had the ideal blend of accuracy and aggression. South Africa also have batsmen who can bat a long time. They know their limits and scoring areas. They stick to what they are good at and eventually make the bowler bowl where they want. At the Oval it was Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and Kallis, and here it was Alviro Petersen batting for nine hours. A great lesson for England's batsmen.