Tthere is always a lot of white noise surrounding an Ashes series, but at the moment it must be overwhelming for England, not only given their performances in the first two Tests, but because of the mid-tour break they have just been on, with various media and attention seekers following them around the beaches of Noosa.
I absolutely understand that Brendon McCullum’s priority is to do what he believes is right for the team, but the prospects surrounding that trip weren’t great and many England fans, who have taken their hard-earned money to Australia with little reward so far, will be quick to get over it if they put in another poor performance.
Having just been rewarded for their two defeats with some nice days of sunshine in Queensland, perhaps now is the time for the team to be introduced to the concept of consequences. They’re not something this group has been dealing with for a while. The consistency of the squad was astonishing, with players protected by policy from the threat of losing their places.
McCullum is now promising more of the same, but I think the players will realize that they, along with the coaches in charge of the squad and the ethos they have built over the past three years, are not immune if the team’s fortunes do not change. I expect the group will have acknowledged that what they’ve done so far on this tour hasn’t worked. They want to play with freedom, choose the aggressive option, but do they play to entertain or do they play to win? Because they’re losing right now, and the only people they’re entertaining are Australians.
I think back to two of the statements made by senior members of the England set-up in Brisbane during and after the last Test. One of these was Ben Stokes who promised to have honest conversations with his players. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the team’s mantra of putting pressure on their opponents whenever possible, but their decision-making needs to improve, and that’s what he had wanted to talk about. But I cannot forget Marcus Trescothick’s extraordinary admission that there had been no conversations within the group about the dangers of riding outside the stump. That this doesn’t come up during an Australian tour, especially as it has been a real problem at England’s performances so far, is truly beyond belief.
On teams I was involved with, the batters tended to get together and discuss an upcoming game: possible field conditions; limit sizes; whether there was a prevailing breeze and what challenges would be presented to the opposition bowlers. Trescothick’s statement implies that these conversations are not happening, and introducing them now to such an established group could be difficult. But without them, it’s difficult to address the kinds of shortcomings we’ve seen.
Stokes and the coaching group may want to discuss necessary refinements to the batters’ approach, but without planting doubts in their minds. On the first morning of the third Test, they must all be absolutely clear and committed to the path they want to take. They need to believe they can make big scores and perhaps Adelaide, where the field has traditionally had slightly less grit and bounce than those in Perth or Brisbane, will be more conducive to their aggressive approach. The players will desperately try to hold on to their confidence and belief, remembering previous good performances, how they felt and what they did well.
I remember Sachin Tendulkar famously scored a double hundred in Sydney in 2004 without playing a single cover drive as he was guilty of overstepping stump a few times. That’s an example of a great player showing adaptability and deciding to eliminate a vulnerable area. Of course, not everyone will have the honesty and discipline to choose that extreme approach, but it does show what can be done with the right attitude and mentality. The problem for England is that they may not be able to change their mentality, nor their personnel.
I saw enough of Will Jacks in Brisbane to think he should keep his place in Adelaide – he took a brilliant catch, batted with guts and determination, and there’s not really much difference between his off-spin and Shoaib Bashir’s on a wicket that’s likely to be quite flat. I expect to see a change in the fast bowling lineup – we haven’t seen the best of Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer has lacked penetration, Brydon Carse has been expensive and Stokes didn’t seem to think they had executed the team’s plans well enough at the Gabba. I see Carse being taken out of the line of fire, and maybe Josh Tongue can be the metronome they need to give them control on one side.
But what about the hitting? The best number 3s I can remember brought calm to proceedings and with Ollie Pope struggling, England could benefit from having someone in the wings who can play in a more conventional way and protect the middle order. But McCullum has said we shouldn’t expect any changes and has created a situation where there are no options left. He must have considered bringing in Jacob Bethell, the only backup hitter on the team, who would change the dynamic as a lefty who brings a bit of peace. I’ve always been impressed by his temperament, and I don’t think he would be impressed on this occasion – but his recent appearances, few as they have been, haven’t exactly made a compelling case for his inclusion.
I remember when England went to the West Indies in 1998, there were so many possible permutations of batsmen, so much flexibility in the line-up, people who could move up and down the order, could bat on three or six. The ability to shuffle our pack on tour against strong opponents played on difficult pitches was useful (although it didn’t help us avoid a series defeat). But McCullum and Stokes value certainty, the same logic that drives them to announce their squads two days before a match starts – clearly beneficial for their opponents, but they find it even more useful if their own players know where they stand.
Well, I hope that logic makes sense, because they certainly know where they stand now. They are 2-0 down and have all the clarity they could want: no fuss, they have to get up, they have to perform and they have to find a way to win.
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