FANTASTIC MR FOAKES
Debutant keeper pulls off England rescue act
IT took a wicketkeeper only called up as cover for the injured Jonny Bairstow to provide the application and composure yesterday that was woefully lacking in England’s reckless top order on a mercifully dry first day of this Test series.
Ben Foakes, 25, one of two Surrey debutants, averted the chaos of a first morning that saw England lose five cheap wickets and replaced it with a calmness which enabled them to claw their way back into contention.
And, with help from Sam Curran, Foakes demonstrated why there must still be a place in the helter- skelter world of modern cricket for Test-match tempo batting and an ability to play each ball on its merits.
England only decided to hand a first cap to Foakes when their Plan A, without Bairstow, of batting Joe Denly at three and giving the gloves to Jos Buttler was undermined by the Kent man’s struggles in what passed for warm-up matches.
That meant Moeen Ali stayed in the problem No 3 slot and room was found for a man who impressed coach Trevor Bayliss as a nonplaying reserve during England’s long winless winter last year in Australia and New Zealand.
How Foakes took his chance, showing that on top of being, in Alec Stewart’s opinion, the best keeper in the world, he is also a stylish, orthodox batsman who rose to one of the most demanding occasions in Test cricket.
Sri Lanka in Galle can be pretty much as tough as it gets but that does not excuse England’s brainless capitulation because there was nothing like the extreme first- day turn that South Africa experienced here earlier this year. Joe Root pledged a bold, adventurous approach to try to bring an end to England’s 13-match-long winless run away from home but instead they again failed to marry their positive intent with a responsible approach.
None was more culpable than the captain, who set a bad example with a skittish, frenetic innings that did little justice to his talent before he yorked himself trying to advance at Rangana Herath.
Root was a worthy 100th Test victim at this special ground for Herath, whose final Test appearance was greeted with a guard of honour and an explosion of fireworks — but it was one that was handed to him on a plate.
It went from bad to worse when Keaton Jennings, playing as well as he has done since being recalled last summer, undid his good work in reaching 46 by trying to cut a ball from Dilruwan Perera that hit his middle stump.
Then the worst dismissal of the lot came when Ben Stokes attempted a dab sweep at Perera and got so far outside his stumps he ended up being bowled. That left England 103 for five, a development almost as unexpected as a full day’s play here following the torrential rain of recent weeks.
Earlier Rory Burns, the other Surrey debutant and stepping into the giant shoes left vacant by Alastair Cook, was unlucky to be caught by keeper Niroshan Dickwella down the legside but Moeen was careless in simply missing his first, straight ball.
Enter Foakes whose batting potential was spotted by Graham Gooch at his native Essex and who would have played for England before now had they not been blessed with world-class batsmankeepers in Bairstow and Buttler.
Foakes found his path at Chelmsford blocked by the brilliance of James Foster but fulfilled that promise on the Surrey production line and now became the fourth successive England keeper to make a half-century on debut.
It was Bayliss who said earlier this year that Foakes could play Tests as a specialist batsman and clearly he was keen on bringing Foakes here in conditions where quality keeping is paramount.
Those thoughts were shelved when Buttler re-emerged as a Test batsman last summer and it was felt unnecessary to pick three keepers here. But injury gave Foakes his call-up and, if he keeps today anywhere near as well as he can, then he will have made a compelling case for a regular place.
Foakes ended the day just 13 runs short of a century on debut and, after cameos from Curran, who hit three sixes, and Adil Rashid, England had perhaps got their noses in front when they finished on 321 for eight. What a bonus this was for the 6,000 predominantly English supporters in the ground and around 2,000 watching from the Portuguese fort that provides such a picturesque backdrop in Galle.
They deserved it after the monsoon season had threatened to ruin this first Test as well as the one- day series, while greed and incompetence from many of Sri Lanka’s hotels in double booking rooms had led to chaos off the field. If the forecast proves wrong for the rest of this match and it stays dry, then it is game on, with the pitch sure to provide turn for England’s three spinners.
And that is very much because of Surrey’s adopted Essex man rather than England’s batting ‘stars’ who just cannot get it right in the longer game.