The early postponement of the Indian Premier League has prompted various reactions from cricket fans around the world.
The happiest of those will be from England fans, with this meaning that most of their squad will be available for the two-match Test series against New Zealand. England are a side with a lot of question marks at the moment, emphasized by their 3-1 thrashing in India. Here is how they should line up for the Test series at Lord’s.
Note: Ben Stokes will not be included, as he will miss the series as a result of an injury.
Openers: Rory Burns and Dom Sibley
After a tough series in India, Burns will be delighted to be back in his favoured English conditions. A much better player of seam than spin, and left-arm seam in particular, his match-up with Neil Wagner will be enticing to watch (Trent Boult will miss the New Zealand series). Sibley also struggled in England’s six subcontinental Test matches, but had a brilliant knock of 87 in the first match against India.
He has a good record in English conditions too, with a century against West Indies coming in his most recent home knock. It will be important for these two to be able to spend considerable time at the crease in order to give their explosive middle-order something to work with.
(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
3 and 4: Zak Crawley and Joe Root (c)
Crawley is another player who didn’t have the best tour in Sri Lanka and India, but his talent is undeniable. Even in the absolute snake pit of a Test match pitch that was Ahmedabad in the third Test, he managed to score a half-century.
Unlike his top three, captain Joe Root had a great tour of Southern Asia. He scored two double-centuries and was just 14 runs short of a third. His play as an experienced batsman will be vital for England.
5 and 6: Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler (wk)
Ollie Pope is another extremely talented young English batsman. Prior to the India series, he averaged 40 in international cricket, and he recently scored 131 in county cricket.
(Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Buttler gets the nod over Ben Foakes with the gloves due to English conditions. Foakes is much more suited to subcontinental conditions. Buttler is in good red-ball form, averaging over 46 this year.
7 and 8: Sam Curran and Chris Woakes
The absence of Ben Stokes for this series means England’s batting will have to be slightly weakened in order to bring in a fourth pacer. Sam Curran is more than a useful batsman, however, with three Test half-centuries in his young career. He also bowls brilliantly in English conditions for an all-rounder, with 23 wickets in just 173 overs.
Dan Lawrence has promise, but the all-rounder must be preferred here. Chris Woakes should be one of the first names on the team sheet for any Test matches in England. He averages over 35 with the bat and has taken 87 wickets in 24 home Tests. His ability to swing the duke ball away from the right-hander will make for a great match-up with Kane Williamson.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
9, 10, 11: Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, and James Anderson
There is an argument to play Moeen Ali as the lone spinner, given his ability as a batter too, but his inability to contain an end in English conditions, (3.8 economy in England) makes it nearly impossible to favour him to Leach. His economy is much closer to 3 an over, and has shown the ability to take wickets.
The last two fast bowler slots go to the due of Broad and Anderson. It is extremely tough to leave out the express pace offered by Jofra Archer, but Broad and Anderson must play. Their record in England, and with the duke ball, speaks for itself.
Honourable mentions: Jofra Archer, Dan Lawrence, Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Foakes, Mark Wood
The biggest argument here is to include Archer in place of either Curran or Woakes. However, that raises major batting concerns, as Archer would have to bat at number 8.
(AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Lawrence must be left out in favour for the all-rounder, and Ali is not good enough in English conditions to be a frontline spinner. Bairstow is badly out of form in red-ball cricket, and needs to be dropped, while Foakes is not a viable option in England.
Mark Wood is a quality pace option, but is behind Broad, Anderson, and Archer in the pecking order.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
i think so
Tanmoy K.
Guest
What would be the scoreline at the end of the Series 1-1 ?
Cari
Roar Rookie
Archer does have a useful pace but too often drops to the middle eighties when things don't go for him and we have plenty of them. Wood is actually faster than Archer, well into the middle 140 s and is and also very good fielder. We will see and nice to see the crowds back again.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
At Lords, and with Archer's injury issues I think they will. For the first test at least
Cari
Roar Rookie
That depends on whether England use the Tests to try out opening pairs or play establish players, anyone's guess. If it was a full five Test fixture expect Broad Anderson and Bairstow would play.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Can't see England going with both veterans in Broad and Anderson to be honest. Probably rotating them and Archer, depending on injury. Other than that, about right, I reckon...
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
Good call Targa. Would like to see Ravindra debut, especially at lords where you really need a spinner. They've taken him so let's blood him. Conway has to be a lock too.
Riccardo
Roar Rookie
You may be right regarding that selection but economical doesn't cut in the whites. Patel is the better spinner while Ravindra, who would be my preference, is an unknown at this level. Paul mentions the weather which is relevant and the Black Caps will also be wanting to prepare the squad they see for Southampton too.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
Bairstow is by no means certain to play. He has failed in 4 tests in a row and just isn't the same test player as he once was
Cari
Roar Rookie
England have been shuffling the pack now for over a year and still to find an opening pair, so anyone's guess who they will settle with. No mention of Bairstow who will certainly play and maybe open. Looking forward to the tests and for a return of the spectators too.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
fair point. i'd like to see rachin ravindra get a chance, but i'm not sure about him as a spinner.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Their other spinners are better, but they insist on selecting Santner for his fielding and batting...which is clearly the wrong philosophy!
Paul
Roar Guru
you have to play a spinner at Lords, but the Black Caps problem is quality. Santner and co haven't exactly set the Test world alight with their bowling. I wouldn't be surprised to see them go with the 3 quicks, C de G and another quick - maybe Daryl Mitchell for some overs and his batting?
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
Burns has played well in county recently though. 50* off 81 at yesterday and he's still at the crease. I like Ballance, but the English selectors seem to be done with him. Pope deserves another couple of chances, but there's always Dan Lawrence to rotate. I like the Foakes idea more when Stokes returns, but not atm.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
yep and Archer has just come back off an injury so they are going to be cautious with him, maybe even saving him all together for the India series. I'd also expect Dan Lawrence to be given a shot
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
I think they should play Colin De Grandhomme and Santner/Ravindra in the absence of Boult. Then they have Southee, Jamieson, Wagner, CDG, and a spinner. You need 4 pacers at lords, but you also need at least one spin option.
Patrick
Roar Pro
Burns has been through a lean period at Test level. His last 8 Test scores are 4, 10, 0, 6, 33, 0, 0, and 25. I would elevate Crawley to open, and bring Gary Ballance in at 3- he has dominated the county game in recent years, and has a Test record better than most alternatives (England have struggled for top order batsmen, and Ballance averages 46.44 at number 3 in Test cricket). Pope is probably under some pressure as well, having gone 11 innings without a Test 50 (although as the author points out, 8 of these were in India). I'm torn on this one- young players should be given a reasonable opportunity, but can't command a place in the side without performances to back that up. Pope is clearly a long term star, but England still need to make sure they pick their best XI at present. I'd probably lean towards giving him another game or two, but I think they should at least consider Foakes taking this spot and pushing Buttler to 5. I'm curious as to why Foakes is 'not a viable option in England'. He averages 38 in FC cricket, played almost exclusively in England, and is clearly the best keeper in the country. Buttler averages over 50 at number 6, so I don't see why a 5-7 combination of Stokes, Buttler, Foakes is a bad option when Stokes returns. Equally Buttler's spot should depend on form- FC numbers suggest Foakes is a better long format batsman anyway.
Paul
Roar Guru
Crawley is by far England's best option at 3. Yes he could open, but I think it would be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Burns and Sibley will open, with English selectors seating on Burns batting way better at home than he did overseas. Brian asked the question whether Sibley has the technique to open in Tests? Wisden made him one of their 5 cricketers of the year, so they obviously think so ( I tend to agree with Brian). Personally I'd have Foakes ahead of Buttler, but that's not the way the Poms will go. They want Archer in the team if at all possible, hoping he'll re-capture the form he showed in 2019 Ashes. In saying that, I don't think they'll overwork him, knowing he'll be asked to do a lot of bowling in Australia. You've got the Test squad right and with the English plan to rotate players, I wouldn't be surprised to see the team you named play game 1 and 3 or 4 guys swapped out for game 2.
Paul
Roar Guru
Much would depend on the weather conditions wouldn't it, Ben? If the Test is played in overcast/showery weather, which is always possible in that part of England, having 4 quality seamers trumps have 3 quality seamers and a not-so-good Test spinner.
Ben Palliyaguru
Roar Rookie
Even if this were true, there is no viable alternative. Foakes is only worth it in Asia