If, for whatever reason, one wished to idle away the time between the second and third Tests of this Ashes series, perhaps a fun game to play might be to speculate on the English selection once they arrive in Sydney for the final fixture of the tour. Now, such a suggestion may feel premature with the contest still alive, and a bullish Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes certain that the tourists can roar back, but even those with a limited appreciation of past Ashes history will recognise that the English XI that ends a disastrous trip down under tends to be rather different than that which one might have imagined at its start.
Take 2017-18, for example, when England fielded a final attack containing Tom Curran and Mason Crane – neither is likely to add to their combined three Test caps. Four years earlier, it had been Boyd Rankin and Scott Borthwick tossed debuts at the SCG, with neither sighted again in England whites. Such selections are not exclusively the preserve of the 21st century – the 1994-95 trip ended with Mark Ramprakash bowling 19 overs of off-spin with an all-seam attack made to toil at the Waca, while a recalled Colin Cowdrey, then 41, opened the batting for England in the sixth Test 20 years earlier – a game England won by an innings at the conclusion of a bruising trip.
Advertisement
England handed out three debuts at Sydney in 2014 (Getty)
The point, then, is that there is a tendency for the baby to go with the bathwater when things head south for England in Australia. There was an interesting moment in the post-match wash-up on TNT Sports that followed defeat at the Gabba when Matt Prior, the former wicket-keeper, asked fellow 2013-14 tourist Stokes what he felt he could learn from that trip. “Don’t panic. Don’t flap. Don’t waver,” was the now captain’s reply.
England, it would seem, are in no mood for launching infants at this juncture but will clearly consider changes for Adelaide. It is as much approach as personnel that has appeared to be the problem for the visitors so far, but an alteration in mindset and mentality may need to be underlined by more obvious tweaks to the side. The ruling out of Mark Wood for the remainder of the series is a blow – soon to be 36, the fear is that the popular seamer may have played his final Test, leaving England without their fastest and most experienced bowler.
Advertisement
Mark Wood will miss the rest of the Ashes with a knee injury (Reuters)
Still, though, one would anticipate a different attack in Adelaide after Stokes himself conceded that he and Brydon Carse in particular had got things wrong in the first innings in Brisbane. It is easy to see why England like Carse with his draught-horse qualities, but there felt a striking difference in skill and steadiness between the two sets of seamers in the second Test. Josh Tongue would perhaps not offer the latter – the Nottinghamshire quick has gone at more than four an over in his short Test career – but his awkward angle, speed and ability to target the stumps make him a noted threat against the tail, with England’s failure to extinguish an innings a persistent problem.
The short square boundaries of the Adelaide Oval can make line-and-length bowlers more valuable on what can be a true surface, which may also bring Matthew Potts into the frame. Travis Head feasted on the raw Harshit Rana during Australia’s encounter with India during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy last year; the hosts have a decision to make on whether to keep the left-hander at the top of the order, or return Usman Khawaja to the side and slide Head back down at his home ground.
Advertisement
Likely lads: (from left) Josh Tongue, Jacob Bethell and Matthew Potts could all come into consideration (Getty)
England’s own batting order will be of intrigue, too. Four relative failures as a unit may mean a sacrifice is offered; Ollie Pope would appear most vulnerable, with Jacob Bethell getting a score under his belt for the Lions in a heavy defeat against Australia A. That 71 came in just the sixth innings Bethell has played in first-class cricket, including the final Test against India, since his debut series against New Zealand, illustrating the different priorities for the modern batter. The 21-year-old Glamorgan batter Asa Tribe made a century for the Lions, and the Jersey international is one to monitor further down the line.
The removal of the vice-captaincy from Pope would appear to make such a switch at No 3 more straightforward. It is striking how callow England’s batting order has felt at times, given the cap count put into certain players: Pope and Zak Crawley, for example, have played more Tests than Ray Illingworth, Graeme Swann and Darren Gough. That neither feels a significantly improved commodity over that time is, obviously, an issue.
Advertisement
Ollie Pope would appear to be the England batter under most scrutiny (PA Wire)
Yet equally, it shows how this England environment has committed to some individuals in a way that others may not have. While McCullum and Stokes have been ruthless in removing Alex Lees, Ben Foakes, Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach and James Anderson, perhaps the bravest decision now would be to have courage in their convictions, despite the situation facing them. That may mean backing Pope, or bringing in Shoaib Bashir – backed to the hilt as lead spinner, he is yet to feature in the series. If England are to revive their hopes, clearer thinking will be required.
Article courtesy of
Source link
