“Some of the worst batsmen I’ve ever seen play Test cricket,” was former Aussie bowler Damien Fleming’s recent take on England’s top order.
Amidst the excitement of ushering in England’s first ever day-night Test, Joe Root and his men will know it’s vital they carry some momentum forward from the South Africa series against the West Indies.
Both sides are stepping into the unknown, with much of the pre-match focus on how the pink ball will affect proceedings. While it supposedly acts in the same way as the red, it’s likely to swing less and we could well see plenty of wickets in the evening sessions when the dark sets in.
After his man of the match performance at Old Trafford, Moeen Ali is one player who will need to adapt, as it remains to be seen how the Windies cope with spin in these circumstances. With the bat, the pressure will be on Moeen too, as England’s top order can’t be relied upon.
As Trevor Bayliss looks to introduce another spinner, Mason Crane has earned his first call-up having made just 25 first-class appearances for Hampshire. Even if he is unlikely to feature at Edgbaston, his presence in the squad only adds weight to the suggestions that every match between now and the winter is being approached with one eye on the Ashes. If that’s true, it’s a case of more disappointment for Adil Rashid, who seems to have been cast aside from the longer format despite his impressive form in the sub-continent last year. For the selectors, an equally nice problem to have is choosing between the returning Chris Woakes and Toby Roland-Jones.
The most significant change comes via the latest entry in Bayliss’ top order merry-go-round. Keaton Jennings’ luck has finally run out, though Paul Collingwood has publicly backed him to return to international cricket in the future. As for Mark Stoneman, the 30-year-old has an average of just under 35 in the County Championship but has been steadily improving over the past couple of seasons.
Through no fault of his own, this is going to be a challenging time to come in and partner Alastair Cook, simply because of the number of batsmen who have tried and failed. The Surrey opener should perhaps be thankful he was not called up earlier and managed to avoid facing the likes of Morne Morkel, yet the visitors’ pacey bowling attack will present difficulties of its own.
The West Indies have been all but written off because of their awful away record. Indeed, many will be disappointed if England don’t cruise to a comfortable victory. However, the biggest threats could come in the form of their promising youngsters, particularly Roston Chase and Alzarri Joseph. It says a lot that Kraigg Braithwaite is being heralded as an experienced head in the dressing room at just 24 years of age.
England have played out some classics against the West Indies over the years. This should be a more one-sided affair, but they have problems of their own and the Windies may just sense an opportunity.
