England are on the up... and here’s how they can reach No1

Happy tourists: Joe Root and the England squad celebrate their series whitewash
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Will Macpherson27 November 2018

In Sri Lanka, England secured their first overseas whitewash in a series of three or more matches since 1963 and are a side on the up.

They have won five matches on the spin and eight of their last nine. They will head to the Caribbean buoyant, knowing they can win overseas.

The daring, inventive Joe Root stamped his authority on the team like never before in his tenure as captain, which is now 24 matches old.

England have defied specialism for a cabal of all-rounders and squeezed as many different types of bowler into a six-man attack as they can — and they have taken the attacking option at almost every opportunity.

Helped hugely by three kind coin tosses and a comparatively weak Sri Lanka side, it worked a charm as England proved wonderful to watch but a nightmare to play against.

How could the hosts legislate for a debutant No7 scoring the most composed century from a position of crisis? Or a 20-year-old No8 bailing England out while farming the strike dealing exclusively in sixes and singles? Or all those brilliant run outs and catches?

The upshot is they have at least 13 players demanding selection. The whitewash took England to second in the rankings. Here’s a few issues that need attention if they are to go No1.

The top order

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Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings and Jonny Bairstow did enough in Sri Lanka to demand retention in the Caribbean, but questions remain, as evidenced by Trevor Bayliss’s lack of absolute endorsement for his openers. “We’re a way from having cemented those spots down,” he said. Burns settled well and had a super Test in Kandy, while Jennings confirmed a couple of things we knew and told us one we did not. He is an excellent player of spin when it is low and slow, and often starts a series well before fading.

Against West Indies, and the excellent Shannon Gabriel in particular, Jennings must prove he is more than just a subcontinental specialist and can play pace, because he will see plenty of it in the Ashes. What we did not know is that he is a short leg fielder good enough to lift a team. That will come in handy again.

The sense is that Jason Roy is lurking, and expect him to be ahead of Joe Denly and Ollie Pope as the spare batsman in the Caribbean. Bairstow’s impact at No3 means it is the openers he most threatens.

The make-up of the attack

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Root and Ed Smith love variety, and it may not be a coincidence that their run of five wins began when they first tried a six-man attack. Only for the last of those, when Bairstow came in for Sam Curran, did they revert to five frontline bowlers, and it is tricky — with the captain, the two openers and the three keepers who demand a spot as batsmen — to see how they get six bowlers in again.

Five should be enough in most conditions, but it might mean forgoing a luxury all-rounder like Curran or Adil Rashid every now and again, however loath they would be to do so. Three seamers and two spinners should work in the Caribbean, then four seamers and one spinner in England. A major strength has been batting depth, so they should keep it, with an all-rounder at No9.

Slimming the spinners

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The heroes in Sri Lanka were the three spinners. Moeen Ali (18), Jack Leach (18) and Rashid (12) complemented each other perfectly with different styles and strengths. None especially demands selection as a sole spinner (although Moeen and Leach are far better suited to that role), but, sadly, they will rarely be used in a trio.

Moeen will play in the Caribbean, but alongside whom probably depends on conditions: if it is a flat pitch or there are six bowlers in the side, Rashid; if greater discipline is demanded, Leach is the man.

Can this style of cricket get them to No1?

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In two words, why not? It might struggle in Australia, but England have plenty of time to sort that out before the winter of 2021-22.

Bairstow’s transition should signal a shift to a slightly straighter style, with the top order doing more heavy lifting with the bat.

Quality bench strength, which is easier to come by with so many all-rounders, is key, as is continuing to think as clearly and laterally as they have in Sri Lanka to come up with a game that suits both the conditions and their own strengths.

There is no formula for sustained success in Test cricket, but these days a varied attack, batting all the way down, fielding flair and the dexterity to pick horses for courses are a pretty good start. Successful or not, it will be a fun rollercoaster to ride.

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