Trial by fire is just right for Ashes
REPORTS WHEN Joe Root stepped out for the first time as England captain at Lord’s in July, the seven Tests standing between him and the Ashes looked worryingly brief in terms of a leadership trial.
A South Africa squad, even one missing a couple of highprofile names, was expected to offer a decent proving ground as he attempted to hone skills and personnel over four Tests.
But against a West Indies outfit stocked with unproven talent and off the back of just three wins in their past 23 Tests, Root was not expected to learn much – a feeling only stiffened by the day-night first Test at Edgbaston that ended in an easy win.
All those preconceptions have been turned on their head by the shock reverse in the second Test at Headingley, which sets up a summer finale at Lord’s next week.
Yet before anyone gets disappointed about the way things panned out in Leeds, the fact that Root’s captaincy will be under the pump is a huge positive ahead of the winter.
The six matches of his captaincy have all given something in terms of experience to Root.
At Lord’s in his opening Test his use of DRS was chaotic, something he responded to after Trent Bridge. In Nottingham he had to deal with criticism and picking up bruised players. And after doing so successfully at the Oval and Old Trafford, he also worked out the best way to deploy his bowlers, particularly Moeen Ali.
Edgbaston was a bit of a flop as a contest for all that it provided practice ahead of a day-nighter in Adelaide, but Leeds showed him his side can scrap and also informed his judgment and skill regarding setting up a result.
Yes, it was a major shock that West Indies chased down 322 to win – bookmakers made England 2-7 to win when Root declared – but the experience he will take as captain from that tense final day is immeasurable.
Indeed, as a crash course in most of the skills needed to lead a side (one which has been far from settled in personnel, further testing his ability), this summer has ticked most of the boxes. Next week has suddenly assumed much greater significance for England, who named an unchanged squad yesterday, and their new captain, with the plan to give leg spinner Mason Crane a run-out ahead of the Ashes now likely to be shelved.
Coach Trevor Bayliss said he hopes the experience at Leeds will not temper Root’s attacking instincts, insisting a team would have won from that declaration “more times than not”.
And he too believes there were huge positives to be taken out of the defeat, not least the identification of Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan as batsmen who have done enough to suggest they will be on the plane to Australia.
“More than anything they started to look comfortable at the crease, if that’s possible in a Test match,” said the coach.
“We hope that they will be OK for the Ashes but this last Test will be another opportunity for them to really nail it down.”
Tom Westley looks on less firm ground following a string of single-figure scores but could be given one more chance to prove his worth.
Perhaps nothing can prepare a captain for what is waiting in Brisbane but, on balance, this summer has not been a bad introduction at all. AUSTRALIAN broadcaster ABC could not resist a bit of Pom-bashing after England’s shock loss on Tuesday. They were strangely quiet yesterday when Australia suffered their first Test defeat against Bangladesh, by 20 runs in Dhaka. Australia entered the fourth day needing 156 with eight wickets in hand, before Shakib Al Hasan took 5-85 to spark a collapse. He said: “My wife told me, ‘Shakib, you will make Bangladesh win’ and that gave me belief.”