Trescothick lands full-time England coaching job

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Marcus Trescothick has been offered the role of full-time England batting coach.

Trescothick, who won 76 Test caps, retired from first-class cricket in 2019 and was an interim batting coach during that year’s Ashes. He also worked with England last summer and toured South Africa earlier this winter.

England have been looking for a new full-time batting coach since the 2019 Ashes, when Mark Ramprakash left. Since then they have used Trescothick and Jonathan Trott, who is in India and is also believed to have applied for the role.

Trescothick – whose playing career was curtailed by anxiety issues around touring – is due to fly to India to be England’s batting coach for the limited-overs series that follows the fourth Test.

England are set to make up to five changes to their side for the third Test, which starts tomorrow. Jonny Bairstow will replace Dan Lawrence at No3, while James Anderson and Jofra Archer will also return after missing the second Test.

Ollie Stone will drop out, but there is less clarity over the makeup of the rest of the bowling attack. England will be tempted to play Stuart Broad in a day-night Test where they can expect movement with a pink ball, but that would mean their batting has a very long tail.

Choosing Chris Woakes – who has yet to play on this tour – would bolster the batting and offer England a good option with his swing and seam movement, although his record in away Tests remains poor.

The other option is to reinstate Dom Bess on the basis that the pitch is still likely to take significant spin. Moeen Ali, who took the most wickets of any England bowler in the second Test in Chennai, flew home after that game for a prearranged rest.

The final change could be Rory Burns, who has struggled in the series, making way for Zak Crawley, who is fit again after recovering from a wrist injury.

Captain Joe Root also clarified why he had apologised to Moeen for saying he had “chosen” to go home after the second Test. “I made a mistake,” Root said. “I got that completely wrong, which was unfair on Moeen.”