England’s top-order batting woes mean they’ll arrive for the Ashes in Australia dogged by uncertainty, the country’s director of cricket Andrew Strauss concedes.
But Strauss, one of four English captains to win an away Ashes series, has backed skipper Joe Root to overcome anything Australia throw his way this summer.
Since Strauss’ retirement, England have struggled to find an opening partner for Alastair Cook, with Keaton Jennings and Mark Stoneman failing to make their mark in recent Test series.
Tom Westley and Dawid Malan were unable to make the most of chances at No.3 and No.5 respectively against the West Indies.
“I’d be lying if I said we were going to Australia with absolute clarity on what our best XI is,” said Strauss.
“We are just not in that position at the moment.
“There are two or three places up for grabs, which is never ideal, and our consistency hasn’t been quite what we want.
“There are going to be opportunities in Australia for guys to make a very strong case for a long-term England career, based on performing well when it really counts in Australia.”
Cook’s successor Root faces a supreme test in his first match as an Ashes captain when the series begins on November 23 in Brisbane.
Root has made an impressive start since taking over the England Test captaincy, overseeing home series victories over South Africa and the Windies.
But his next challenge is the ultimate, according to Strauss, who rates his 2010-11 Ashes victory in Australia as the greatest moment of his captaincy.
“It’s the biggest challenge an England captain will ever have,” said Strauss, who led England 50 times in 100 Tests.
“Everything is directed towards you as England captain in terms of being responsible for what’s happening on the pitch.
“But also the conditions in Australia are very changeable from one venue to another … you need to be able to adapt to those conditions you see in front of you.
“He’s got a great chance. He’s started brilliantly. He’s shown that he’s very much his own man. He’s got his own way of thinking about the game and that will stand him in very good stead in Australia.”
Perry Bridge
Guest
A severe lack of theRoar stories about Moeen Ali's performance. 50 to 100 in 12 balls. 61 off 14 with 8 sixes.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
It's a fair round up Chris, although I probably wouldn't call the issues similar. England's shortage of fit and proven Test bowlers full stop, let alone in Australian conditions, will be the telling factor for me. Cameos from the likes of Bairstow, Stokes and Ali down the order would be really useful in building a winning total, if the top order wasn't lacking at least two batsmen. Unless Cook and Root both score big each Test, the Australian batting, in Australia, will be too strong for England's likely bowling line up. 3-1 or better to the Aussies sounds about right.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
BurgyGreen
Guest
Haha maybe :) But also I think England have a great opportunity, considering they have so many allrounders, to play a specialist keeper and still have 5 bowlers. Foakes is competent enough with the bat anyway. You could even play him at 8 and have Moeen at 7 or even higher. It seems like the main thing that's holding them back is that Root refuses to jump up to 3. In a struggling batting side he really ought to be leading from the front.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Picking that team is just all about getting Stokes, Foakes and Woakes in the same team isn't it? I totally get it. I loved it when the Brisbane heat would pick Fekete and Stekete in the same side!
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
It's going to be an interesting series as much as anything because both teams have major holes. England's weaknesses: - 3 big holes in the top 6 with no great options - Despite experience, there are major question marks over the bowling attack in Australian conditions. Anderson who's been their biggest strength at home has a really poor record in Australia and is getting older and has probably dropped a yard of pace, which doesn't help in these conditions. Broad is the only member of the bowling attack to have any sort of decent record in Australia. England are struggling overall to find a good third pace bowling option. An injury to Broad or Anderson would see England in lots of trouble. England's strengths: - Expect Root to do well. Cook is more of a maybe. He's had really good and really poor series in Australia, don't know which Cook will turn up. But for England to have a chance he needs to perform and be one of their strengths. - Keeper - Bairstow over Wade is one area where England have a significant advantage over Australia - Allrounders - Stokes & Mooen Ali as 2 of the 5 bowlers give England a good batting depth while having a better 5th bowling option than Australia are likely to have. Australia's Weaknesses: - Renshaw is a big question mark still. He has shown some good signs but is a long way from making it. Could be vulnerable. - Keeper - See above - Wade loses out big-time to Bairstow, certainly with the bat. I really have no idea if Bairstow is any better with the gloves. - 5th bowler - Maxwell and Cartwright appear the first two options for the #6 spot. Both at the moment offer little more than part-time bowling options. Australia's Strengths: - Warner, Khawaja, Smith in Australian conditions - These three have shown the ability to pile up big runs in Australian conditions. - Pace bowling - While Anderson / Broad boast significantly more experience and good test records, in Australian conditions. Hazlewood, Starc, Cummins, Patterson likely provide much more. Plus there are at least a couple of other bowlers who could easily step up to test level if required and offer at least as much as anything the English have to offer. - Spin - While Ali gives England more batting depth, Australia is a graveyard for visiting spinners, and Lyon will almost certainly finish with a vastly better record with the ball than Ali. - Home series advantage - when all else seems close to even, it's amazing how much playing at home seems to make a massive difference these days. In a lot of ways, both teams have a similar number of issues and similar number of strengths, but being at home should allow Australia to minimise their weaknesses and maximise their strenghts and should mean Australia should take the series, possibly by a comfortable margin (eg 3-1 or better), but where many of the tests have been hard fought.
Mike Dugg
Guest
Stokes, Bairstow and Ali will do some damage to the Aussies. Don't underestimate England The Aussies have many problems of their own
BurgyGreen
Guest
Westley, Malan and Stoneman just don't look like Test players to me. I think that top order is in real trouble. I'd be making wholesale changes and giving some talented players a shot. Drop Malan, Westley and Stoneman. Open with Hameed (or Robson, or Livingstone - Hameed's county form is not great). Root moves up to 3 (they need to stop sacrificing new batsmen at first drop - give them a chance further down). Bring in Foakes to bat at 7 and take the gloves. Bairstow as the senior player in the side moves up to 4. Young Joe Clark slots in at 5. Team looks like this: 1. Cook 2. Hameed 3. Root (c) 4. Bairstow 5. Clarke 6. Stokes 7. Foakes (wk) 8. Moeen 9. Woakes 10. Broad 11. Anderson That's a much more solid-looking top 5 in my opinion. The three most successful English batsmen in recent times are all in the top 4, while Clarke gets the opportunity to settle at 5. Then you've still got Stokes, Foakes, Moeen and Woakes to come who are all quality with the blade, and Broad can smash a few as well. The bowling is maybe a little thin but England's bench stocks aren't great so adding a 5th specialist probably won't do much. If you wanted, though, you could swap out Foakes for Wood or Roland-Jones.
Nudge
Guest
They would be mad to have 3 rookies in the top 5 against Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Pattinson. Cooks form has been very ordinary in the past year as well, and has only had one good ashes series in 6. I think Foakes will come in to keep and Bairstow to move up to 5. Foakes could make the team as a pure batter and word is he is the best gloveman in England. Foakes averages over 42 in first class cricket and has made over 300 runs at 100 his last 3 county matches. I hope they don't but I expect them to line up something like this. Cook Stoneman Root Westley Bairstow Stokes Foakes Ali Woakes/ Roland Jones Broad Anderson That's a reasonable team I reckon
Jake
Guest
Cook and Root are the only decent batsman they have and Cook is on his last legs. The rest will be cannon fodder. Ditto the bowlers. Broad is the only good one.