Ok, so this tour has gone quite well so far then! Despite the sceptics predicting that England’s aggressive approach to test cricket under Ben Stokes would be ineffective on the flat Pakistani wickets, they have succeeded in winning the first two tests to win the series. England had prior to this tour only won twice in Pakistan, once in 1961, and the famous victory of Nasser Hussain’s side in 2000-1 in Karachi.
The squad was picked with the trademark Stokes and McCullum positivity. Two white ball specialists in Will Jacks and Liam Livingstone were selected, and Ben Duckett has made a return to test cricket after a six year absence. Livingstone sadly injured his ankle in the first game, and Jacks, while he contributed a six wicket haul in the first test, contributed little in the second and made way for the returning Ben Foakes. The jury is still out on the two white ball all-rounders, but Jacks as the younger player has more time to develop his red ball skills, if the T20 schedule allows!
Ben Duckett has had a highly successful return to the test side, scoring a maiden test 100 in the first match and adding two 50s in the second. His expertise against spin and his speed at picking up length have been the two hallmarks of his game, and he has brought a speed of scoring and a dexterity of shot which has provided a platform for the middle order below him. He is undoubtedly one of the principal beneficiaries of the tour, and his next challenge will be to maintain his form in other conditions, starting against the renowned New Zealand seam attack in February.
The first day of the first test involved over 500 runs being scored, and a remarkable four centuries. Harry Brook added his maiden hundred to go alongside that of Ben Duckett, with hundreds from Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley also. Scoring at a rate of six an over was unheard of in test cricket, even on wickets this flat, and shows Bazball can work abroad as well.
The remarkable scoring rate of Harry Brook has been the high point of this approach, and he is a batman of exceptional power who picks up length early and can play every shot in the book. With two test hundreds already in this series, he has been the breakout star of the side on this tour, playing with aggression in the absence of Jonny Bairstow. His placement and ability to work the ball into gaps in addition to the power game already make him a hard player to tie down. The next step in his progression will be to show he can dominate attacks on faster wickets. He looks like a player who should be able to excel in every format of the game.
This calendar year has seen a total of twenty-one test hundreds scored, another record. Joe Root has had a comparatively quiet series, but the rest of the side have more than compensated for this. If England’s younger batsmen can begin to contribute more consistently moving forward, then the side will be much stronger as well as taking the pressure off their star man, already England’s second highest run scorer in tests.
Finally, the bowlers. Anderson, Robinson and the returning Mark Wood have all bowled with exceptional skill and accuracy, with Jack Leach as the leading spinner taking the new ball on a8 number of occasions. To bowl Pakistan out twice in successive test match on pitches offering little to no assistance has been a tremendous effort, and Jimmy Anderson’s remarkable longevity and Mark Wood’s extreme pace have once again rightly attracted plaudits, together with the rest of the attack.
Ollie Robinsons improved fitness has resulted in him maintaining a higher pace and exhibited his increasing technical excellence on flat wickets. Jack Leach meanwhile has wheeled away and continues to pick up wickets on these pitches with his usual endurance and skill.
The tour, therefore, with the third test still ongoing, has been a great success. Ben Stokes as a captain has removed the fear of failure it seems, and his remarkable declaration in the first game gives credence to his mantra that he prefers to risk losing than draw. Stokes and Root, the two senior batters, have had fairly quiet series, allowing younger players to enjoy the limelight.
England’s top three is still something of a work in progress, and Ollie Pope in my opinion should not keep if he bats at three other than in an emergency- it is a highly pressurised enough position at the best of times. Ben Foakes has come back into the side for the third test and has shown his sublime skill on the first day. Speaking personally, I always would pick the best keeper available- I have seen England drop too many vital catches over the last 30 years!
Bazball then, regardless of the outcome of the final test, has passed its first overseas challenge. The side has a good balance of experience and youth (Jimmy Anderson and Rehan Ahmed), and will be reinforced by the returning Stuart Broad and Jonny Bairstow in the new year. The New Zealand series is up next, and will provide an opportunity to show off this developing sides approach in another country.
New Zealand were on the receiving end of Ben Stokes’s side last summer and will doubtless be devising plans to seek to restrict England free-wheeling approach. There are as always question marks. Can Mark Wood be kept fit for the Ashes, and will Jofra Archer and Olly Stone be available to back him up? Pace on every wicket is an invaluable weapon to have, and we can only hope that all of Englands quick bowlers can retain their fitness.
England’s catching on this tour has been good, another area where we have for a number of years been inconsistent. Having a settled slip cordon, a world class keeper and a genuine fast bowler always in the side would be another stride in the right direction.
Anyway, that all lies in the future. First and foremost, congratulations to the England team, players and coaches. Some of the headlines about rewriting the test cricket rulebook may be a little hubristic, but there is no doubt that this side is playing at a level of aggression that few sides have demonstrated in the past, in all aspects of the game. Long may it continue, just don’t expect too many draws!