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On Friday, one of the most highly anticipated sporting series begins with India hosting England in a five-test tour, starting in Chennai.
Given the Covid-secure bubble lifestyles that players have had to endure since cricket’s return last year, many sides have chosen to chop and change their squads under the premise of “resting”. With both England and India missing key players, here are five things to look out for from a visitor’s perspective in the forthcoming matches.
England’s opening-fragility
Out of the eight innings played between Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley, only once did either pass 50 and the highest partnership between the pair was 17. With Rory Burns returning to the fold from paternity leave it is expected he will partner Sibley with Crawley dropping to three.
Whilst Sibley looks to have turned a corner between the two Sri Lanka Test matches, the Warwickshire opener will be keen to pick up where his last innings ended. For Zak Crawley however, after enduring a tough time in Sri Lanka in January, he will be hoping to gain a fresh start against one of the most notorious attacks in world cricket. Questions over his selection have risen in the last 24 hours though after potentially breaking his wrist after slipping during training in Chennai.
Who will bat No. 3?
With Zak Crawley now doubtful to play in the series, Jonny Bairstow sat back in England resting following his IPL campaign and England’s Covid-bubble exploits and Joe Root’s preference to bat at No. 4, there appears to now be a hole which will cause major concern on the eve of series.
Whilst Root does have a wealth of experience batting at first drop, it is one of the world’s worst kept secrets of his preference to never have to do it again. Along with Ollie Pope returning at No. 6 and before the news regarding Crawley, Ben Stokes was set to return at No. 5, meaning Dan Lawrence was set to make way. The Essex youngster who only made his debut in the last series could easily fill the slot.
Other left-field options are available, and both would see England entering the game with one more all-rounder than initially planned. Moeen Ali, who has previously batted at No. 3 in Tests, could be recalled and Chris Woakes, who batted at No. 3 during the 2019 World Cup group stage, could step in and boost both the batting and bowling options.
Trial by Spin?
Despite being known as a spinner’s paradise in years gone by, led by the influences of Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Kapil Dev over their seamers available in the side, this could be the first Indian attack which is more reliant on seam than spin. With Ravi Ashwin a certainty in the Test side with 377 wickets to his name, will they choose to accompany the 34-year-old with a barrage of young seamers who did so well away in Australia this winter.
As a result of this, will England see this as more of an opportunity of a positive result? With the Kookaburra balls being used for this series, seam movement and reverse-swing will be less of a factor than if it was played with a Dukes ball. England will have to mentally prepare themselves to face arguably the best seam attack India have ever had. Spin will be a sizeable factor, but we are long-gone from the days of a complete and utter dust-bowl wicket from day one.
The return of Ben Foakes
One of the biggest talking points in English cricket of recent years has been the role of the wicketkeeper. Since Matt Prior’s exit from the Test side in 2014, England have fielded four wicket-keepers; Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes. Of the four, Ben Foakes is believed to be the far superior gloveman and a technical specialist, compared to the other three who are wicketkeeper-batsmen. Of the 81 Tests played since Prior’s last, Foakes has only played five times.
England currently see the wicketkeeper’s role as that of a batsman first and foremost, with keeping being the secondary factor. It has been confirmed by Ed Smith, ECB Chairman of Selectors, that Jos Buttler will return to home shores after the first match for his own period of rest, and that Foakes will take over the gloves for the final four games. Should the Surrey wicketkeeper excel during his appearances behind the stumps, questions will be further raised over whether England are adopting the right philosophy of selecting for the runs before glovework.
Archer a possible inclusion?
One very exciting return to the fold after missing the two Tests in Sri Lanka, Jofra Archer is brought into the mix. He accompanies Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Olly Stone and Mark Wood in all vying for three potential places. Having chosen to go with Curran and Wood alongside Anderson for the last match, it may be tempting to stick with the same attack as before, but given the generational talent in Archer returning, you would be a brave coach to overlook the 25-year-old.
Sometimes pigeon-holed alongside Mark Wood as being the speed merchant that compliments either Broad or Anderson with their miserly guile, it may be easy overlook the skill set that Archer possesses other than seemingly effortless sheer-pace.
Should England choose to go into Chennai with Dom Bess and Jack Leach as the frontline spinners accompanied by three frontline seamers, selecting which players have to sit out will be the ultimate selection headache every coach wants to have.
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