We cannot afford to let batting slide in Ashes
➤ England must curb their worrying tendency to score fewer runs the longer an overseas Test series goes on
This winter has proved England are a very entertaining team to watch, because you are never sure what is going to happen next. What I look for in sport is skill, drama and controversy. We had all three in India.
England are like the Newcastle team under Kevin Keegan. It is all or nothing. This India tour has been a good example. You could not take your eyes off the Tests, and both white-ball series went to the wire. If you want to be a great team then you have to be more resilient and determined. It is a little boring, but having said that, I would happily buy a season ticket to watch this lot.
In Test cricket, they lose matches because they have phases when they do silly things. They beat Sri Lanka 2-0, but could have lost the second match. They beat India in the first Test, but then never looked like winning for the rest of the series. They lost to West Indies last summer but fought their way back, and should have lost to Pakistan at Old Trafford, but pulled off a miracle victory. So, yes, I would buy a season ticket to watch them.
England won nine out of 11 tosses in India, but lost all three series. My overriding feeling is that losing three series was OK. It should not be damaging in the long term because it will be a while before these players have to play on spinning snake pits again, if ever.
Ultimately, when they play New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2 in the first Test of the summer, it will be like playing a different sport, because conditions will be so different, so perhaps we should not read too much into this winter. It was just disappointing from that they did not put more emphasis on the four Tests. That is my biggest concern for the future of Test cricket.
England play a dynamic style in one-day cricket that is brilliant to watch. Even though they were down and out, Sam Curran and Mark Wood played some smart cricket in the final one-dayer to give themselves a sniff. Sadly that was what was required earlier on. I do not want England to become a one-trick pony always on the charge, because teams like that get found out.
I thought the 50-over team was more balanced with the righthander Liam Livingstone in the middle order. Moeen Ali made the team better as well. We know England have massive depth and are fearless with the bat, but their bowling is a concern. Reece Topley is a bowler I want to see more of. He offers a bit of a difference. They have to find a replacement for Liam Plunkett to take wickets in the middle overs, and perhaps could look at Wood coming back on a bit earlier to make breakthroughs.
We did not learn much about the Test team. James Anderson proved he is still fantastic, Jofra Archer is resting now and the question is, can he play five out of seven Tests in the summer? I think he needs that, and so does the team.
The most disappointing aspect of the winter was that England did not improve with the bat as the Test series wore on. If anything, they got worse. For a while now, once they have a bad Test match overseas against a good team they go on a downward spiral. It happened on the past two Ashes and India tours. That is a concern, because it could happen again in Australia later this year if they are not careful. At home they have a habit of coming back, but overseas losing seems to affect them more.
They will soon put things right in the English summer, but we have to guard
For a while now, once they have a bad match abroad they go on a downward spiral
against getting too carried away and thinking they are a great team if they win two or three Tests in a row. This Test side is a long way short of being great. They are behind India, who have a chance of beating them over five Tests this summer if they have the right attitude. When I look at India, it baffles me how they are not the absolutely dominant side in every format.
They should be the powerhouse of world cricket on the field, battering everybody. They have every single aspect of the game covered, but fielded like clubbies in the last one-dayer. It was National League standard. If they can get that aspect right and continue with the aggressive batting then they will be unstoppable in two years’ time at the next 50-over World Cup. They have bowlers who will take wickets in India, a Test team who can travel and win. They have players who can face quick bowling and the moving ball.
They have quick bowlers, skilful spinners, swing bowlers and exciting batsmen. They have depth as well. They should be head and shoulders above everyone else.