With England's next chance to regain the urn coming in two years' time, The Cricketer wonders how they might line up when they touch down in Australia
England have found an opener. Call off the search. It has taken some considerable time, but in Rory Burns, here is a man who, beyond his quirks, possesses a thirst for batting time.
No English opener has faced more balls in an Ashes series since Alastair Cook’s remarkable series in Australia. Burns never quite matched that here, but he showed the same appetite for soaking up pressure that made Cook such a crucial part of England’s team.
The 21-year-old Kent opener has an ever-improving first-class record and has attracted praise from all quarters since establishing himself in his county side. The nature of any predicted team is that much can change between now and then, but Crawley remains an impressive prospect.
It is, of course, entirely possible that Joe Denly nails down the position for himself on the winter tours of South Africa and New Zealand, but he will homing in on 36 years of age by the time the next Ashes series comes around. That, in itself, should not rule him out, but it will not necessarily work to his advantage.
There are other options out there as well; Hassan Azad has impressed for Leicestershire, while Dom Sibley's weight of runs has been well-documented and Chris Dent continues to churn out an annual supply of runs for Gloucestershire.
If Joe Root chooses to remain at number three, then that is where he will be when England arrive on Australian shores in 2021. In an ideal world, Root could slot in at the fall of the second wicket, where he has enjoyed so much of his success in an England shirt and, indeed, where Virat Kohli and Steve Smith have found themselves in their own respective sides.
Yet, in the absence of a clear option beneath the openers, Root has taken one for the team, perhaps at the expense of his own game.
Ollie Pope made his Test debut in 2018 against India
More than good enough a batsman to find himself in Root’s old position, Stokes can only be expected to bat here if it comes alongside a reduction in his bowling workload.
By his own admission, it simply isn’t feasible otherwise. However, few in the England setup – perhaps only Joe Root – look as technically proficient at the crease. None play as straight and Stokes has shown this summer a rare ability to dash up and down through the gears.
The Surrey 21-year-old has already had a taste of Test cricket, making his debut at Lord’s as England beat India in 2018. Since then, however, he has moved from strength to strength; in 43 first-class innings, he holds an average of 59.27, which represents an extraordinary effort.
He passed 200 for the second time in his short career in the midst of England’s batting struggles, racking up an unbeaten 221 for Surrey against Hampshire. We know that he is well in Ed Smith’s thoughts, having been called up as cover for Jason Roy after his Surrey teammate suffered a minor niggle during the Ashes. A dead cert for a winter tour.
England have made an investment in Jos Buttler as a red-ball cricketer, with Ed Smith bringing him in from the relative cold as one of his first moves as chief selector. His display at The Oval was a reminder of exactly why that decision was made. Quite simply, imagine Buttler at the base of a middle order in a team with a fully functioning top half.
In an ideal world, Buttler would always enter the frat at 250 for four, rather than strolling to the crease mid-crisis. Whether England can afford such a luxury at present is open to some serious debate, though he has shown his ability to play with restraint on multiple occasions, not least at Old Trafford, where he gave England hope of claiming an unlikely draw.
Jonny Bairstow will come again, such is his character and his undoubted talent. In all likelihood, he will come again well before England travel to Australia in an attempt to regain the urn. For the time being, however, Ben Foakes is worth his chance. An exceptional gloveman and unfortunate to have been cast aside five games into his Test career in any case, he is worth another shot.
He has endured a distinctly average first-class season with Surrey, scoring his 518 runs at an average of just 27.26, but his glovework remains unparalleled in English cricket.
An alternative, of course, is to hand Jos Buttler the gloves and find a place for the multiple talents of Sam Curran, though his cause may depend on how responsive Australian wickets prove to be to his left-arm swingers.
Ben Foakes made a hundred on Test debut against Sri Lanka
Quite simply, a fixture in every England side for the foreseeable future. Joe Root will have to learn to look after his prize asset or risk losing the hostility that dominated the World Cup and added such drama to the Ashes.
Watching him bowl on the quicker pitches of Australia will be a thrill; since Chris Tremlett tore through Australia in England’s last successful visit Down Under, they have wanted for a tall fast bowler to terrorise the home batsmen.
You would say that Jack Leach has done enough to earn a prolonged run in this England side. He is yet to let England down and has shown himself to be adept at holding an end in the first innings, while also driving the ball hard into the rough at the back end of games.
Leach is still to take a game by the scruff of the neck for England, but he has offered more control than Moeen Ali has been able to exert in recent times. His batting has, of course, obtained cult status.
Stuart Broad will be 35 by the time England and Australia next face off in Test cricket. For a competitor with his record against the old enemy, it is difficult to see Broad not ensuring that he is fit and firing to renew hostilities.
His hold over David Warner – dismissing him on seven occasions at a cost of just 35 runs – gave England an early advantage in almost every single innings, while his eight-wicket haul at Trent Bridge in 2015 still haunts Australian minds.
One senses that Broad is everything that Australian cricket begrudgingly respects – fierce, fiery, uber-competitive, a winner. With James Anderson unlikely to be part of the 2021 party, the onus will once again be on his partner-in-crime.
How England could have done with Olly Stone in this series; he would almost certainly have taken part at Old Trafford, while he bowled well enough against Ireland to force himself into contention for the Edgbaston Test at the start of the series. We know little of the seriousness of his latest back issue, but his supporters will hope it is not as serious as previous problems.
Stone has so many attributes that England would be desperate to exploit come 2021, with an emphasis on pace key as Joe Root’s side look to improve their record away from home. If not Stone, England will hope that Mark Wood can return to peak fitness, with others like Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood waiting in the wings.
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