Last Updated on 4 months by Charbel Coorey
So, there it is. England complete quite the turnaround, after the disappointment of Southampton. They beat not only West Indies twice, but also the rain, as they overcame inclement weather in both the second and third Tests to register victory.
For the Windies, cricket post COVID-19 is the same for them as it was before. They enjoyed periods of excellent play, but ultimately, their lack of consistency is their downfall.
With skipper Jason Holder, who bats at eight, their highest-ranked Test batsman, it is vital the Windies improve their batting. For England, it was a good fightback, and can now look forward to the Pakistan series starting next week.
For now, here are five talking points from England’s 269-run win.
1. “Never change a winning side?”
After having earned themselves a comfortable victory against the West Indies in the second Test, many might have thought that the same XI would feature in the third and deciding final game. That was not the case.
The English coach, captain and selectors took what I initially believed to be a massive gamble by dropping a batsman (in an already timid lineup) for a specialist bowler in Jimmy Anderson. However, the gamble paid off. The English batsmen scored more than enough runs, before the four seamers ran riot through the West Indies top order.
2. Go for the kill!
As mentioned, the English were a batsman light and the likes of Root, Pope and Buttler were without runs coming into the game. With the exception of Sibley and Stokes, I would argue that the batting did not inspire great deal of confidence.
The West Indies got off to a fantastic start by claiming the top four for just 120 runs. Although that might not constitute a batting collapse, the English were in a spot of bother with their two most ‘vulnerable’ batsmen at the crease (Pope and Buttler), with only their five bowlers left to come.
The West Indies game plan then, for whatever reason, seemed to go out the window. The corridor of uncertainty was completely ignored and the quicks (Holder in particular) were, out of concern for being smashed down the ground, bowling far too short.
There was clearly plenty on offer for the bowlers who found movement through the air and off the wicket. The quicks were successful when bringing the English batsmen forward and it’s the plan they should have stuck with against the tail.
3. The 500 & 200 club
Stuart Broad not only claimed his third 10-wicket haul of his career, but more significantly his 500th Test dismissal. He entered an elite club of fast bowlers including Courtney Walsh, Glenn McGrath, and his teammate James Anderson. Currently in his 14th year of Test cricket, only James Anderson has played more Test matches as a fast bowler than Stuart Broad and their longevity is something that must be applauded.
At the age of 34, Broad still seems to have plenty in the tank to lead the attack for the next couple of years in the post-Anderson era. I’d go as far as to argue that he is the more ‘devastating’ of the pair and we saw that in full force in this final Test match. His ability to bowl to both right and left handers is one that not many fast bowlers have and is one that was executed to perfection against the West Indies batsmen.
The fast bowling ranks look bright for the English with Broad, Archer, Woakes, Wood and Curran likely to operate as their five red ball quicks going forward. The pace of Archer and Wood is well balanced by the swing and seam of Broad and Woakes, while Sam Curran left arm inswingers provide a challenge for batsmen.
For the West Indies, Kemar Roach claimed his 200th scalp, becoming only the ninth West Indian to do. He joins the likes of Walsh, Ambrose, Marshall, Garner, Holding, Sobers and Andy Roberts. Although it’s difficult to compare him to these aforemtioned legends, his contribution to an inconsistent and outright weak West Indian side that has been plagued by politics and Kolpak signings, cannot be overstated. He has been a rock for the West Indian side for a over a decade and has rightly earned the right to have his name placed amongst those legends.
4. Chris Woakes makes a statement
It must be tough to really stand out in a bowling unit that consists of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, but Chris Woakes was phenomenal in the final innings. He kept things very simple, mixing up his conventional away swinging deliveries with the odd one that just held its line. The result was a couple of edges as well as three plumb LWB’s.
With a Pakistan series only a few days away, Chris Woakes has undoubtedly put his hand up has the third seamer of the side. His record in England is world class, while Jofra and Wood have been very underwhelming in the series. Having said that, given the proximity of the England and Pakistan series, as well as the short periods between the games themselves, I can see the English sticking to their rotation policy in the Pakistan series. I would like to see James Anderson make way for Sam Curran (to rest), but more importantly, I would like to see Chris Woakes get a shot with the new ball in conjunction with Stuart Broad in what could potentially be the new opening pair for England going forward.
The new ‘Cook & Strauss’?
Dom Sibley and Rory Burns shared in a 114-run opening partnership in their 2nd innings. It didn’t necessarily set the game up for victory, but rather eliminated the possibility of the West Indies getting back into the game. They were both solid throughout the series and I cannot quite remember the last time I saw two English openers who ‘looked the part’. Since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012, Alastair Cook really lacked a consistent opening partner.
Rory Burns (29) and Dom Sibley (24) could form a solid opening pair for the next five to six years. When you combine this with a member of the ‘fab four’ in Joe Root, the best cricket player on the planet in Ben Stokes, and a highly effective fast bowling unit, there is no reason why England couldn’t compete with the India’s and Australia’s of the world in the near future.
Written by Daniel Orsmond. Follow Daniel on Twitter today.
Also read other Daniel Orsmond articles on CricBlog!
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