POSITIVE SPIN FOR CAPTAIN JOE
Ballance and Dawson can shine in exciting new era, says Root
It MADE a pleasant change to be at Lord’s yesterday and find an England captain preparing to begin his reign against South Africa rather than see them end it.
Nasser Hussain, Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss have all fallen victim to South Africa on their last three visits but it is fair to assume Joe Root will not follow them whatever happens in a four- match Investec series rich in promise.
Root was all smiles yesterday and the sense of excitement was palpable as he stood in the Lord’s sunshine and contemplated becoming England’s 80th test captain, but the fate of three of his predecessors is evidence of his task ahead.
South Africa may be depleted but they have lost only one of their last 12 tests and remain a mighty difficult team to beat, especially on the road — they have not lost in England since 1998 and last winter they won in Australia.
England lost eight tests last year and their ‘stagnation’ in the ultimate form of the game led to Alastair Cook’s demise in India before Christmas and the arrival a year ahead of schedule of a captain long destined for the role. Root begins a run of 12 tests in six months, five of them for the biggest prize of all in Australia, having got his way on his own place in the order and the contentious identity of England’s No 3.
the new captain is back at four today, where he feels happiest, even though trevor Bayliss would prefer his best batsman to bat at three, where Gary Ballance begins his third and last chance to prove he belongs at the highest level.
It is only right Root should have the team he wants, particularly at the start of his reign, but the selection of Ballance so soon after his desperate struggles last year epitomises an underwhelming first squad under new management.
England can only hope Root was right about his Yorkshire captain when he said yesterday: ‘I look at how Gary has performed this year and the number of runs he’s scored and he’s been phenomenal.
‘A lot of people have asked questions about the last time he played for England but I look at his game now, as do the other selectors, and he is a completely different player. He is desperate to prove a point in this series.’
that ‘completely different player’ still seems to have the same idiosyncratic technique and Ballance faces the fiercest of examinations today from the formidable attack of Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander.
Equally under the microscope is Liam Dawson, who, Root confirmed, will play ahead of toby RolandJones and will join Moeen Ali as the first pair of frontline spinners to play for England in a Lord’s test since 1993.
On that occasion Phil tufnell and Peter Such took two for 219 between them in an innings defeat by Australia, so at least England’s unlikely pairing do not have to aim particularly high to do better this week.
‘He looked very at home and bowled with great control when he came into the side in India and can complement the rest of the attack,’ said Root of Dawson. ‘I think it is a very exciting team.’
It would have been more exciting if England had picked Mason Crane or even Adil Rashid, who is jettisoned despite having taken 30 test wickets last winter, but at least Dawson is a combative cove and Bayliss likes the cut of his jib.
Elsewhere, the belated start of the test summer provides all manner of intriguing sub-plots as England attempt to replicate the progress made by the one-day side, at least until their Champions trophy slipup against Pakistan.
Notable among them is whether Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood can stay fit and firing to play in the majority of those 12 tests which will surely be crucial if England are going to triumph against South Africa and in the Ashes.
then there is Cook’s ability to ease back into the ranks and provide the mountain of runs as senior pro that would enable Root, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes in the middle order to give full licence to their attacking intent.
Notably, there will be the question of whether the demands of leadership impact both on Root’s importance as a batsman and on the engaging, cheeky personality that has been so endearing on his route to the top.
‘I’m very excited,’ smiled the new captain. ‘It has been a long wait for this week to come round but to get the squad together and work with them has been fantastic. It’s a little bit more real now. I just want to get out there.’
Is he ready for the scrutiny and inevitable criticism that will come with the job?
‘Who knows?’ said Root. ‘ there are a lot of unknowns coming into this job but I’ve always been confident of what I’m capable of and I don’t see why I will go about this any differently.’
If Root can stay true to himself then at least he will have made a start.