IF IT’S A BAD BALL IT’S A BAD BALL
Jason Roy, who wants to open in the Ashes, says his free-flowing style will work in Tests because...
The Ashes do not start for four months, but Jason Roy would be lying if he said he did not have an eye on the Test team’s troubled top order.
Roy has become a gimme as england’s white-ball opener, and next month embarks on a fivematch one- day series against Pakistan that precedes the World Cup. But the domestic season has begun with red-ball cricket — and the selectors’ search for a convincing Test top three has assumed holy-grail proportions. Roy may answer their prayers.
If he has played little first-class cricket of late, then so had Jos Buttler when he was summoned from white-ball exclusivity last year. Since then, no one has scored more Test runs for england than his 938.
It also felt significant that Roy batted at No 3 for the Lions against Pakistan A in Abu Dhabi in November, making 59 and 14. Perhaps most importantly, a one-day international average of 38, with a strike-rate of 105, suggests he knows how to tackle the world’s best new-ball bowlers.
Put it this way: who would Australia’s bowlers least like to come up against at edgbaston on August 1 — Keaton Jennings or Jason Roy?
‘My technique has shown to be pretty good against fast bowling early on,’ he said. ‘I’ve progressed a lot in my career in the last two years. Test cricket is the great unknown. But, given the opportunity, I hope I’d succeed.
‘It’s more of a mental switch. The technique side of things stays the same. It’s always fun going from T20, or even T10, to a longer format, because I’m under less pressure to score at 10 an over. It’s quite nice to bat and watch the ball, be relaxed.’
Alec Stewart, Roy’s director of cricket at Surrey, is more bullish. ‘Because he’s opened in international 50- over cricket, he would cope with the steppingstone to Test cricket,’ he said.
‘The Australia attack is challenging, but Jason’s method is solid. he’s a good strokeplayer and hitter of the ball. he can defend well. he just has to adjust — see it’s a red ball coming down the wicket. It’s not an issue if england do go down that route.’
Roy, 28, played only five red-ball innings in 2018 and only seven in 2017. But the switch of formats does not faze him. ‘If it’s a bad ball, it’s a bad ball,’ he said. ‘It’s as simple as that.’
A hamstring injury means Roy may not be fit for champion county Surrey’s four-day opener against essex at the Oval next week. There’s also the question of where he will bat.
Rory Burns and Mark Stoneman will open for Surrey, while Scott Borthwick is the likely No 3. That means Roy may not go in higher than No 4 — not ideal preparation for Australia.
Then there’s the fixture list. Between Championship matches, the 50- over Royal London Cup and the Pakistan series, it’s possible his only chance of first-class cricket before the Ashes will be the four-day Test against Ireland starting at Lord’s on July 24. The selectors, though, may conclude they have nothing to lose by picking Roy. england might as well instruct him to attack from the start, rather than hope Jennings or Joe Denly come good. ‘The less Surrey see of me the better,’ said Roy. ‘ That means I’m getting selected in the Test stuff.’
The race is well and truly on.