England’s frail batting and over-reliance on Joe Root will have been watched with interest by their next opponents, Pakistan and South Africa
George Dobell21-Aug-2015Short of bursting into a wedding late, tripping over the cake and accusing the bride of being a man, it is hard to think how England could have ruined their own party more effectively than they have at the Kia Oval over the last couple of days.What should have been a celebration instead became a reminder that, for all the satisfaction of winning the Investec Ashes, England are a long way from the finished article.Perhaps such a view is harsh. Not on England – who have been poor – but on Australia who have batted with discipline and bowled with skill. While the pitch is flat, the ball has swung pretty consistently in this game and Australia have shown they can adapt to flourish in such conditions. After the disappointment of Trent Bridge, they deserve a lot of praise for that.And this may not be the worst thing to happen to England, either. Had England won this Test – still a possibility, of course, but a mighty distant one – they might have been tempted to overlook some of the flaws that can now not be ignored. If they expect Pakistan and South Africa to implode as spectacularly as Australia have at times this summer, they are in for a winter of disappointment.The truth is, England have won the Ashes despite – not because – of their frail batting. They are over-reliant on Joe Root – England’s only centurion in the series, the top scorer in all three first innings of the Tests they won and the only man in their top seven to average more than 31 in the series – and a line-up that attempts to compensate for its modesty with its depth. It is a method that works fitfully but the record suggests that, if Root fails, England lose.Prime concern is the opening partnership. Adam Lyth and Alastair Cook have averaged 16 for the first wicket in this series with a highest stand of 32. It means that England’s middle-order is not receiving the protection they may require and that Australia’s bowlers are often offered early encouragement. It means, in essence, that they are not fulfilling the duty they were picked to perform.Cook’s record in the series is maddening. He looks in fine touch, he is timing the ball nicely and appears to be leaving the ball with assurance. But one half-century is a poor return for such gifts and, coming to the end of his sixth Ashes series, he has the odd record of averaging 127.22 in one of them (the 2010-11 tour) and a best of 30.62 in the remaining five. While nobody is seriously suggesting dropping him, he does need to stop being so like Mike Brearley – with the bat at least – if he is to serve England to the best of his ability.Lyth’s position is far less secure. Seven Tests into his international career, he has reached 40 only once and, in this series, is averaging 13.12. Not only are there concerns over his technique and his propensity to edge balls that might be left, but there are concerns over his temperament at this level. His dismissal here, attempting to pull Peter Siddle’s second ball, was his third in the series (after a horrid slash at Lord’s and an expansive drive at Edgbaston) that might be considered rash or even reckless for an opening batsman.The frustration for Lyth will be that he has not done himself justice. He is a better player than this. But he goes into the second innings of this match in the knowledge that he needs a substantial score to retain his place. He may well be good enough to come again, but several generations of former England batsmen will envy the seven Tests he has played as ample time to stake his claim.England may well still be paying for their inflexible – arrogant, even – treatment of Nick Compton. He was, after all, the first through what has become a revolving door of opening partners for Cook since the retirement of Andrew Strauss and he made a pretty decent fist of the job, too. Somehow, though, the face didn’t fit in a dressing room that was just a little cliquey and a minor misunderstanding about the extent of an injury was blown into a major incident. He could have spent the summer blunting Australia’s new-ball attack; instead he has fought it combating disillusionment and considering retirement. It is a fearsome waste, though it is not too late to rethink his exclusion.Had Alex Hales – who made 189 against a decent Warwickshire attack on Friday – kicked down the selectors’ doors and written ‘Pick Me!’ in blood on their kitchen walls, he could not have made his case more eloquently. He is not without some issues – it will have done him no harm to miss facing this Australian attack and their ability to exploit any potential weakness against the short ball – but he has talent in abundance and, under the carefree exterior, a hunger to improve.Gary Ballance, who finished the day 98 not out for Yorkshire, might also be considered as an opening candidate for the UAE, too, though the decision to bat him at No. 5 for the county surely suggests that is not a realistic option at present.Jos Buttler’s form is also causing concern. He has averaged 11.42 in the series and has now been dismissed by Nathan Lyon’s offspin four times in 21 balls. Bearing in mind that England’s next series is in the UAE, where they can expect a huge amount of spin bowling, his dismissal here – bowled through a gate so wide that a truck driver could have reversed through it – is a real concern.We knew, however, that Buttler was not the finished article when he was called into the Test team ahead of schedule following Matt Prior’s untimely decline. We knew that he was still learning his trade as a first-class batsman. We knew he was still learning to build an innings. A first-class average of 33.51 with just four centuries should have told us nothing else.But we also knew he had potential. He is improving as a keeper – his catch down the leg-side to dismiss Peter Nevill off the bowling of Moeen Ali was excellent – and we have seen from his white-ball exploits that he has the raw ability to shine against international bowling. There is no guarantee that he will fulfil that potential and England cannot afford to persist with him forever if the runs do not start to flow but, aged 24 (three years younger than Lyth), he is likely to earn more patience. There was bound to be a learning period.There are other options, though. While Buttler may well have benefited from the retirement of Craig Kieswetter and Steven Davies’ slightly puzzling decision to relinquish the gloves, the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Ben Cox and Sam Billings, will be watching with interest.
