Ben Foakes says he and England know they must improve in second Test
Ben Foakes has said the margin of England’s defeat against West Indies in Barbados suggests something is not right. And were he to be the fall guy for what was a grim collective batting performance, there would be few complaints.
The tourists have arrived in Antigua in the leadup to the second Test, which starts on Thursday, and with few places guaranteed following a 381-run defeat – only Jimmy Anderson, Ben Stokes and Rory Burns emerged in credit – an extra frisson is expected when training resumes on Tuesday.
Foakes was England’s golden find during the 3-0 victory over Sri Lanka before Christmas, emerging as player of the series in his first international outing both by top-scoring and keeping immaculately when supposedly a stop-gap for the injured Jonny Bairstow.
But after scores of two and five in Bridgetown – as well as a tough drop down the leg side when the double-centurion Jason Holder was on 151 – the 25-year-old: said: “I didn’t perform last game, so I couldn’t sit there and say ‘why did you drop me?’
“I did really well in Sri Lanka and I completely want to play the next game. But we lost by 300-odd runs and if a change is needed, a change is needed. Those are things I don’t think about. You can’t think ‘am I going to get picked; am I not going to get picked.’ It will drive you crazy. I’m just preparing for the next game. If I get the nod, I get the nod. If not, good luck to whoever does.”
On England’s batting, he said: “There was never a stage where the dressing room didn’t feel we could win. That may sound crazy if you look at the scoreboard, but there was always that determination. But something is not right if you’re getting beaten by that much.”
Were Foakes to make way, it would say more about England’s search for their best XI in these conditions rather than one low-key performance. The return of Bairstow as a specialist No 3 has led to Joe Root’s preferred sixbowler strategy away from home dropping to five. But after totals of 77 and 246, this extra batting depth did not equate to extra runs.
Bairstow has made little secret of his desire to reclaim the gloves – his resumption would once again leave England searching for a new batsman at first drop– but on this, Foakes replied: “It’s a unique situation, but there’s no awkwardness. We train with each other.”
West Indies, meanwhile, have officially added Oshane Thomas to an otherwise unchanged squad. The highlyrated Jamaican quick was previously with the set-up as injury cover.