What next for England’s Test team after Ashes series that had everything? | Cricket News

After an intoxicating seven weeks, we now have to wait almost six months for the next legal high that is England Test cricket.

Not until January 25, in India as a five-match series series begins, are Ben Stokes’ red-ball revolutionaries back in action.

It will feel like ages after an Ashes for the ages. An Ashes that had everything – except for a winner.

It was a series of Bazball, Bodyline and Stuart Broad’s bail tricks, 600th Test wicket and fairytale farewell. Of Australia’s defensive fields and England’s uber-aggressive ones. Of the captains – Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins – making key contributions. Of brutal and occasionally brainless batting from England. Of diligent and arguably at times dull batting from Australia.

A series of sledging, that stumping, spirit of cricket debates and, allegedly, a haircut that was not paid for. Of the usually mild-mannered members of the MCC going all WWE and clashing with visiting players in the Lord’s Long Room.

A series where Moeen Ali came out of retirement, Broad confirmed his retirement and James Anderson said he had “no interest” in retirement. A series of Chris Woakes’ wizardry, Mark Wood’s velocity, Joe Root’s audacity and something we never thought we would say: Zak Crawley’s consistency.

From the moment Crawley crunched the first ball of the series to the cover boundary through to Broad nicking off Alex Carey with the final delivery – his final delivery – we were captivated.

The Ashes began with a four and a roar and ended with a roar and a draw. Seven weeks to savour. Seven weeks England would have savoured even more had rain not ended their hopes of becoming only the second side in history to win the urn from 2-0 down.

Changing of the guard in ageing bowling attack?

England’s mission to save Test cricket will continue early next year but will do so without Broad and Moeen.

The break-up of this side has begun. More players could follow, perhaps not immediately but eventually. Eight members of England’s Oval XI were north of 30. Anderson is north of 40.

Anderson has remained steadfast that he is going nowhere. He still feels he is good enough to be a Test bowler. Now he just needs the selectors to agree. England’s all-time record wicket-taker had a miserly economy rate in the Ashes (2.77 runs an over) but also a miserly wicket return (five at an average of 85.40). Sky Sports’ Mark Butcher said he looked like he was “pushing a rock up a hill”.

Woakes is 34 and has never really done it away from home, Wood is 33 and always appears to be carrying some kind of niggle. A changing of the guard in the bowling attack is coming at some stage.

England will be hoping Ollie Robinson – who may now become chief Aussie baiter following Broad’s ride into the sunset – can become the long-time pillar of the attack; that Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts can continue their development; and that maybe, just maybe, they get to witness Jofra Archer in Test whites again.

We hear that Archer is “on course” to be fit for the 50-over World Cup in India in October and November and if he comes through that unscathed, he may be an option for the red-ball series in the same country in early 2024, some three years after he played his last Test. That may be wishful thinking but it remains a tantalising prospect.

Spin-wise, with Moeen back into retirement, left-armer Jack Leach – a man whose confidence has blossomed under Stokes’ captaincy – will return from his stress fracture of the back at some point and England like what they see in teenage leggie Rehan Ahmed. He took a five-for on debut in Pakistan last winter.

Will Jacks, meanwhile, might be the new Moeen, an off-spinner who gives it a rip with the ball and a whack with the bat. Leach, Jacks and Ahmed could feature in India, with perhaps Sussex off-spinner Jack Carson an outside bet.

Stokes wants to become an all-rounder again

England’s batting line-up features three thirtysomethings in Joe Root (32), Stokes (32) and Jonny Bairstow (34 in September) but they are not going anywhere any time soon.

Root will surely cruise past Sir Alastair Cook’s England record of 12,472 Test runs – he is on 11,416 at the moment – and may even have Sachin Tendulkar’s 15,921 in his sights. He has enough time left to back-foot punch and reverse scoop his way past The Little Master.

The only question with influential captain Stokes is whether his Test future is as a batter or an all-rounder.

It has principally been the former of late as he deals with a chronic knee problem but he is keen to revert to the latter and hopes to get his longstanding injury sorted during the long gap between the end of the Ashes and the start of the India tour.

If Stokes can get back to fully-fledged all-rounder status, it will make it so much easier for England to balance their team.

Bairstow’s bombastic batting in the first and then the final two Ashes Tests reaffirmed his importance to the middle order. The sole debate – and it is a big one – is whether he should be keeping wicket.

He improved with the gloves as the Ashes went on, taking a blinder of a catch on the final day to remove Mitchell Marsh, and his errors earlier in the series can be put down in part to his arduous recovery from a horrific leg break. Still, Ben Foakes is the superior gloveman and he might come into consideration on the spinning wickets in India.

England play refined Bazball

There will be no switching the opening partnership, though, with Crawley and Ben Duckett giving England permanence at the top of order not seen since Sirs Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook.

Crawley’s dazzling 189 in Manchester, and 480 runs across the series, showed why Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have kept faith with him, while Duckett chipped in with 423 runs. This little (Duckett) and large (Crawley) tandem is here to stay.

As is Brook, a player Butcher says “has a touch of genius”, after taking his Test record to 1,181 runs in 12 games at an average 62.15. He is the closet we have seen to Kevin Pietersen. Perfect for Bazball.

It was a refined Bazball we saw as England clawed their way back into the series.

Refinement that they had shown in the past – against South Africa at Emirates Old Trafford last summer and in Pakistan over the winter – but seemed to lose earlier this summer with the adrenaline shot of the Ashes making the batting a little too gung-ho.

McCullum told Sky Sports Cricket: “What we have seen in the last three matches in particular is a team really grow up and come to terms with the style of cricket we want to play.”

A refined Bazball is a threat to anyone, including India. Rohit Sharma’s men are unbeaten in home Test series since 2012 but may get their biggest test yet when England arrive.

Win, lose or draw, Stokes’ swashbucklers will entertain. It’s just a shame we have to wait almost half a year to see them again.

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