Timid England begin Ashes preparation in reverse

England’s insipid draw against New Zealand during the first Test at Lord’s may have staved off defeat but it has done nothing to raise English spirits ahead of an Ashes tour this summer.

England will want to look firmly forward to the second Test at Edgbaston because even a quick glance at recent history makes for uncomfortable reading.

Kyle Jamieson of New Zealand shakes hands with Ollie Pope of England after the match was drawn.Credit: Getty

Had the third day not been washed out New Zealand probably would have won the first Test. Yet when the dominant Kiwis last played in Australia they lost the three-Test series 3-0, and by a collective 822 runs.

And the macabre pleasure of watching Australia lose to India last summer is cold comfort, too. England will spend August and September hosting India in a five-Test series.

Even doctoring wickets to make them indistinguishable from the outfield is unlikely to save England given the quality of India’s pace attack. Indeed, it would further erode the confidence of England’s sub-par batting line-up.

Set 273 in 75 overs by New Zealand in a sporting declaration on Sunday, a depleted England never attempted to move beyond survival mode, stepping cautiously to 3-170, more than 100 in arrears.

Even the good bits left a sinking feeling, as Nick Hoult from the London Telegraph observed.

“There were a few boos as the teams shook hands at the end but this was less about England’s lack of ambition and more about where they are at the moment as a team, which is miles behind a side such as New Zealand,” Hoult wrote.

“It also does not give much hope for defeating Australia this winter, a challenge that will require boldness and imagination.”

Days before the match had drifted away to nothing, England’s former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan made similar observations after a first innings collapse.

Also writing in the Telegraph mid-Test, Vaughan insisted the team’s fragile batsmen must change their approach.

“Can this batting line-up get consistent and good enough to get big, big scores?” Vaughan wrote. “That’s the only way they’re gonna win down under.”

Dark clouds brewing over Lord’s.Credit: Getty

The problem starts at the top, as Hoult observed: “England’s openers can only bat in one gear - first. Dom Sibley just does not have the shots at Test level to play any other way than grind out runs like he did here with 60 off 207 balls.”

Still it was a vast improvement on Sibley’s previous eight Test innings, which had registered a top score of 16. The last six scores were single figures.

His opening partner, Rory Burns, saved England with an equally gritty century in the first innings, after managing just 78 in his previous eight Test innings including three ducks.

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell called the home-spun techniques of Sibley and Burns “ungainly and unconvincing”, claiming on Cricinfo that poor starts could be a “death sentence” for England in Australia.

‘Adults Only’ warnings should go up on televisions if the pair bat in Australia to prevent the next generation being subjected to their peculiar tweeking and twirking. The extra pace and bounce of Australian wickets is only likely to make that worse.

Writing mid-Test before England’s last-day refusal to chase a genuine target, Chappell also took aim at Joe Root’s leadership.

“Root’s captaincy often lacks imagination and reason,” Chappell wrote. “His tendency to have long discussions with senior players is reminiscent of Alastair Cook at his worst.”

Root could claim mitigating circumstances. England’s top seven in this match, without the injured Ben Stokes and resting Jos Buttler, was the youngest England has ever fielded in a home Test. And Root was the only batsman with an average above 34.

Joe Root of England collides with Dom Sibley in a botched single.Credit: Getty

Stokes aside, there hasn’t been boldness or imagination in England’s Ashes cricket for some time. He will be a welcome addition to this Ashes series given he missed the last tour after being stood down because of his infamous nightclub fracas.

It was his miracle innings in Leeds during the last series in 2019 which ultimately prevented England from losing its first home Ashes series for almost two decades. That was the first time in five series that England had not beaten Australia at home, with the final scoreline 2-2.

Still, it was a vastly better result than on recent sojourns to Australia, with England having lost nine of their last ten Tests and failing to win one.

Of the four England players to score more than 300 during the last Australian tour, only Root remains as a regular fixture. Alastair Cook has retired, Dawid Malan is no longer in the team and Jonny Bairstow has struggled to secure a place in the side.

The most encouraging part of the most recent Test for England was the debut of fast bowler Ollie Robinson, but he has been suspended pending an investigation into unacceptable and unsavoury social media activity from almost a decade ago.

Robinson claimed seven wickets for the match and scored an important 42 in the first innings but there is a cloud over when he will play again.

At least England didn’t lose.