It has been 11 years since England beat India 4-0 and climbed to №1 in the world test rankings. Some of us may remember that India was a little psychologically overwhelmed by winning the World Cup a few months earlier, integrating a new coach, Duncan Fletcher, Ian Bell, Kevin Petersen and Alistair Cook made Grandpa double hundreds, and James Anderson, Stewart Broad, Tim Bresnan and Graham Swann were great. This was the last time England did a series longer than two tests and, remarkably, Broad (but not Anderson) will be there in Leeds this morning, trying to do it again.
England is at a high level after Trent Bridge, but we must admit how uncertain the line they are on is. If Johnny Bearstow had relaxed on his long leg when he faced Matt Henry after tea on the last day, many of the same people who showered him with praise would have anointed him with vitriol. When he tried to hit England for victory, according to the instructions of the coach and captain, on Saturday night at Lord’s, he was “stupid”. When he appeared in Nottingham, he was a “hero” who “broke the conventions.” Whose conventions? Not his own. We must keep in mind that there will be exciting successes when they make their way through the high wire and moments when they slip and fall. There is no one without another for a team in this phase of recovery that is encouraged to play so smoothly.
Jamie Overton is a welcome addition to XI. I thought Matti Potts played very well in Lord’s and in the second inning of the second test, but the presence of a bowler at 90 miles per hour at one end gives the captain the opportunity to play properly and subject the opposition to tempo (” like fire ”) and bounce.
NZ welcome back their captain Kane Williamson, who must return for Michael Bracewell, while Neil Wagner must be the man to replace the injured Kyle Jamieson.
Throwing is inevitable. We will bring you the news about the team after the captains confirm.
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