England Are Part Of Big Three But Can't Beat India Or Australia
BBC Radio's Jonathan Agnew called it the most thrilling saga since the 2005 Ashes. "We're bitterly disappointed we couldn't get the series win, but myself being a massive advocate of the game of Test cricket, this series has been an unbelievable advert for it across the world," said England skipper Ben Stokes.
That's true enough, but it was another opportunity spurned for Bazball to beat one of the other members of the Big Three. It's now seven years since England defeated India in a series, and a decade has come and gone since the 3-2 defeat of Australia in the home 2015 Ashes.
Most of those barren years came before a current regime that has taken English cricket to new highs of attacking intent. One of the biggest pluses at the beginning of the Brendon McCullum and Stokes blitzkrieg was the actual statistics.
England won 11 of the first 13 Tests by risk-taking as the roulette wheel was coming in red, white and blue. The entertainment factor was near enough ten out of ten too, even if the opponents were 'only' New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa. There was no need to dial down the pace or artillery as long as the results column was full of big, fat Ws.
England are the great entertainers under Stokes, whose body took a well-earned break from the denouement of this gripping series against Shubman Gill's side. However, despite the new-found roar of the Three Lions, they still lack a killer instinct to punch the lights out of a team that was on the floor and limping. To truly be the best of the Test class takes more than a great stage performance. The rat-a-tat-tat of victory after victory has tailed off with this team.
Pound for pound, England look as good as India and Australia at times as the latter are both going through some transition. The Ashes are three months away and there is something building with the return of Jofra Archer and Stokes bowling as well as ever. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were climbing into the Indian seamers in South London to set up a series win, but at 92-0 and 129-1, the freedom went into overdrive, skidded off the road and let the pursuers off the hook. Likewise, Harry Brook's hack in the second innings let the tourists back in when the white flag was about to be raised.
Arguably, India could have won all three of the opening Tests. England's love of the chase got them out of a hole at Headingley. The glorious approach of the pedal to the metal can also be a free get out of jail pass for the opposition.
When Bazball was at its peak during the 2023 Ashes opener, England had the chance to punish Pat Cummins' team at Edgbaston, but they chose to declare with centurion Joe Root still undefeated. They were cruising at Lord's with Australia a man down after Nathan Lyon's calf tear and then hobbled themselves with shot selection. The firepower was there; the cavalry charged too hard.
If England wants to make a statement beyond the ability to grow the game and leave a legacy that will be remembered, it's time to be more selfish. There's nothing like winning big series. Lifting a trophy is cool, even if, as Scottie Scheffler says, it's a transient moment of joy.
'The one hurdle for this team is to make sure they win,' Michael Vaughan mused on BBC's Today at the Test. Results do matter in the elite world of competitive sport, even if England end up being the best team to watch.
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