Dom Sibley coping well with extra scrutiny amid encouraging start to England career

The Warwickshire opener has two centuries in 10 Tests and is coming to terms with the extra attention on all facets of his technique

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While sophisticated streams and social media videos have swelled the interest and analysis of the techniques of county players across the country in recent years, it reaches an entirely different level once you're part of the England inner-circle.

Unless you were a regular down at The Kia Oval or Edgbaston during the last seven years, the inner workings of Dom Sibley's approach will be largely unknown. But thanks to his assent into the international arena, there are no more secrets.

Once Sky Sports, as an example in the 24-year-old's case, expertly unpick your entire technique you are laid bare to the world. Your flaws are exposed and you need some thick skin to compose yourself and move on.

Sibley is no fool. He anticipated such forensic analysis. Aware that his processes are unorthodox, that came as no surprise. It was only when the stream of scrutiny continued amid his early successes that his attention was piqued.

"To be honest it’s one of those things you’ve got to get used to quickly. The only time when it has surprised me was when I got a hundred and people were still making comments," he said, referring to his stubborn 120 from 372 deliveries in the second West Indies Test - the slowest three-figure score for six years.

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"That was a little bit of an eye-opener because if you get a hundred in county cricket, everyone sings your praises. That was probably the only time. 

"I’ve got my family that I chat with, my close mates and I know if my teammates think I’m not doing something right, they’ll tell me. Just trying to stick to people that are close to me."

Sibley has passed every key juncture of his career with flying colours. Initially, at least, the jump to international cricket has similarly impressive. He averages just under 40 from 10 Tests. A revival of his partnership at Whitgift with Rory Burns has brought 456 runs together, including England's first century opening stand in a home Test since 2016.

All evidence suggests he appears right at home in the Test match cauldron.

"I think if you said to me after 10 Test matches you’d be averaging 40 and with two Test match hundreds I’d be pleased," he added.

^{Dom Sibley went to his second Test century against West Indies at Old Trafford}

"But at the same time, I do feel sitting here now that I’ve got a lot more to give. I’ve only sort of shown myself to a certain level at this stage and I do feel like I’ve let opportunities slip to score maybe four or five hundreds.

"That might be sounding greedy and it might sound unrealistic but that’s the way I think and I need to keep building on what I’m doing and try and take the positives and try and score a few more big scores this summer. 

"The secret is it does feel tough at times. There are periods where bowlers bowl well and you and you do feel 'I’m not sure if I’m going to score big runs against this guy'. 

"It’s just a case of getting through that and as people always say, batting does get easier. That’s something I try and do and I’m starting to feel more comfortable every time I go out to bat and there are some amazing bowlers out there but I’ll always back myself."

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