NATIONAL selector Geoff Miller revealed Essex’s Ravi Bopara was “disappointed” to have been overlooked for a place in England’s side for the first Test against Sri Lanka.

Eoin Morgan was selected ahead of Bopara after he scored 193 against the Sri Lankans in the first innings for the England Lions.

Bopara scored just 17 runs in the same match.

“Ravi was disappointed; I want him to be disappointed,” said Miller. “He’s still in our thinking, very much so. It’s not the end of the world for him, but he’s got to put in some really consistent performances now.

“We’re trying to pick the best side to win Test matches for England. It’s results. There were certain aspects about Ravi that we needed to have a chat to him about, his game and such like.

“There wasn’t quite enough there for him to overtake what we originally thought.”

The selection will have been particularly galling for Bopara who turned down the lure of the IPL to prepare for Test cricket in the county game with Essex.

Morgan has played in the IPL and even revealed he would head back to India should England omit him against Sri Lanka at Cardiff.

“He (Morgan) has not played much, if any, four-day cricket this year, but he just showed what his character was in that innings,” Miller said of Morgan’s century against Sri Lanka for the Lions.

“It’s not the end of the world for anybody else knocking on that door, but that was good enough to show us he was the one to take the place.

Bopara’s ability to bowl the medium-pace overs that Collingwood habitually got through, or maybe a few more, was a consideration — but not in the end a telling one.

“It leaves you a seam bowler light,” said Miller. “But Jonathan Trott can do that if need be, and Kevin Pietersen can bowl his little spin if need be. We still feel we have got an attack that can combat most if not all teams in all conditions.”

England’s Essex team-mate Alastair Cook, of course, is in the squad.