Covid bubbles are like jail – that is why Ashes should be called off
➤ Players’ mental health is priority but Root’s first task is to get England’s top order firing again for third Test
England deserve no sympathy for losing the second Test against India because it was their own fault. But I do feel for them when it comes to the debate over the Ashes.
Jos Buttler has said he might have to think twice about touring because of restrictions placed on family coming with him, and it is important people respect the players’ decisions – whatever they are. There should be no pressure on them to do anything other than look after themselves and their families.
Some players have had enough of Covid-19 bubbles and I do not blame them. They were a necessity to get cricket played, but I do not think people grasp how hard it is to live confined to a room, not able to go out for dinner or see family and friends.
I know they get well paid, but that is just a lucky by-product of playing in this era of big television money.
It is like being in jail and they can only live like that for so long.
Look what it has done to Ben Stokes. He is a wonderful, free-spirited cricketer but he has been burnt out by it all. You can only do it for so long, then after a while it becomes penal.
Players also have to handle the pressure of performance while cooped up in a bubble. I would not do it as a commentator now, let alone as a player.
But instead of waffling and dodging the questions, more of them should come out now and say: “I’m not going in the circumstances as they are.” Most of them are frightened they will be criticised or will not get back in the team. Yes, the Ashes is a big thing, but it is not bigger than your health or people’s family life.
Any sensible person would call it off and realise there is only so long guys can live in a bubble. There is only so long you can expect guys to play 50-over, 20-over, Hundred matches and Test cricket before some say enough is enough.
The England players must put all that to the back of their minds at Headingley this week. Joe Root will have had a miserable time playing over in his mind how his England team lost the last Test so easily after being favourites to win it at the beginning of the last day.
There is no need to torment himself. It is simple. He won it with his batting, but lost it with his captaincy. Fortunately he has not made any excuses. He has admitted it was his mistake, nobody else’s. That is a good sign.
By all means do a bit of homework and think about what he could have done better, then find a way to pick himself up and his team. It is no good dwelling too long on the past, as negative thoughts are unhelpful. It is vital Joe picks his words carefully. If England are to surprise themselves and most of the country by coming back from 1-0 down, then it starts with the top three batsmen. Somehow they have to give the middle order a better platform to push on from. Our opening starts have been rubbish.
For example, England’s greatest opening pair were Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe, who averaged 87 runs before the first wicket fell.
What Root, Jonny Bairstow and Buttler would give to come in to bat against the old ball rather than rampant opposition bowlers with a fairly new one. That is the difference.
All the batsmen need to be made aware that they cannot keep leaving most of the batting to Root. It is difficult to win if you are a one-man band. They have to cut out the bad shots and if they get in, make it big. Those small innings do not hurt the opposition.
Buttler has not had any four-day cricket and it showed with his non-existent footwork for three innings. His little second-innings 25 at Lord’s looked much better and hopefully he can put that to good use. But England need runs from him. Four innings and 65 runs is a poor return for his quality.
Bairstow has looked in good touch but has had three starts of 29, 30 and 57. He has to capitalise on a start and hurt India.
The other one is Sam Curran. A king pair can be demoralising. For him, Headingley will be a huge test of character. The India seamers know he is down and will come at him hard. The pressure on Sam will be enormous. He has to show he can master hostile, short-pitched pace bowling in Test matches.
There is no hiding place in five-day matches. If he is going to make it as a genuine Test allrounder then he has to show he has the technique and bottle for it.
With satellite TV pictures going all over the world, every international fast bowler will be watching his performance. Make a mess of it and his Test career could be finished before it gets going. They will take note and he will get short balls over and again – every time he bats.
Losing at Lord’s should have hurt all the players. The only way to get that defeat out of their system is to win at Headingley. This India team are not full of supermen, but they bettered England in spirit, intensity and aggression with the ball.
The England players need to up their game and match India with desire. Every batsman needs to bat better, bowlers need to bowl better and Root needs to captain better. If they can do that, then you never know what can happen. England can beat them, but do not just talk a good game – play better.