England v West Indies: what did we learn?

England 369 (Pope 91, Roach 4/72) and 226/2 (Burns 90, Holder 1/24) beat West Indies 197 (Holder 46, Broad 6/31) and 129 (Hope 31, Woakes 5/50) by 269 runs and win series 2-1

This series in 2020 was totally different to any international cricket we have seen before, certainly for an England team. What can we learn from it?

1. West Indies are a ‘cracking’ bunch of blokes. For them to come to England has been amazing, but in every interview I have seen they showed courtesy, respect, humour…and just came over as really good people. We really appreciate that they have come. Cricket has a responsibility to make every effort to make sure the West Indies get cricket ‘at home’ this year. And by the way, that also applies to Pakistan who England face next week.
2. England loose far too many games for the talent they have. England ought to have won the series 3-0. Too often, England have a terrible session somewhere that gives away a game. Often it is the first game in a series, as it was in the winter against South Africa, but against India in 2018 it was the 3rd test match and at home against South Africa in 2017 it was the second game. It is a bad habit, and against good sides including Pakistan and Australia, losing the first game in the series ended up being the difference between a drawn series and a won series. England have to address this.
3. West Indies are close to making a transition into a really good team. However, they rely too much on Shannon Gabriel and Kemar Roach. Perhaps Alzarri Joseph and Gabriel should have been rotated in this series as I think Joseph will develop and Gabriel never looked fit. With those bowlers, West Indies can be a handful if the batsman can score 300 in the first innings. The problem is that they cannot consistently do it – they only did it once in this series.
4. England’s new opening pair of Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns looks like it may provide the answer England have needed. One does wonder why Burns was not picked sooner to open with Alastair Cook, as he has been performing for Surrey for years. Burns needed a big score and the only reason he did not get a century in the final game was because he was trying to score quickly. Sibley has been ‘feast or famine’, and that is because once he gets ‘in’ he makes it count, unlike Joe Denly who makes painful 30s and does not go on.
5. West Indies love playing England. Jermaine Blackwood averages 55 batting against England and 24 against everyone else. Roston Chase gets more wickets against England than anyone else. West Indies have always loved beating England! England must stop under estimating them.
6. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are both brilliant bowlers, and at test match level remain well ahead of the rest of the pack. Don’t get me wrong, Jofra Archer, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood are fine bowlers and Archer will develop into one of England’s best. But right now, Broad and Anderson are in another league and the pair can be considered in the same terms as Botham and Willis, Akram and Younis, Walsh and Ambrose….take your pick from the greats.
7. At Old Trafford you win the toss and bat first. If you pick an extra spinner you bat first.. If in doubt, ask former Australian greats Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Shane Warne about the 1997 Ashes test match when Taylor batted first in terrible conditions and won by 268 runs. Mind you, with Warne in the team, you bat first too. Just ask Ricky Ponting.
8. Joe Root is growing into the job. It has taken a while, but in South Africa and at Old Trafford, it felt like Root’s team. He played magnificently in the second innings of the last test match – I know he scored a double century in New Zealand but this innings was close to Root at his best. I was critical of the Headingley declaration in 2017 which, in my view, threw away a game that England did not need to win. Here, England did need to win but he got all his declarations exactly right. He is at his best when he can be aggressive.
9. Balancing team selection for the short and long term is tricky – particularly in lockdown. England got it wrong at Southampton by leaving out Broad. West Indies got it wrong at Old Trafford by not resting Gabriel and then played a spinner and bowled first. The lesson is surely that you pick your best team at the start of a series, but if in doubt that someone is fit, rest them.
10. Both teams deserve a pat on the back for professionalism. Playing in front of an empty stadium was surely odd, but the cricket was a good standard and was compelling viewing. We want the crowd back – but the teams showed that good cricket can be put on behind closed doors. I suspect the doors will have to be closed for a while yet after today’s announcements.

For England, we would like to have learned a couple more things, and they will hope to work out a few more things in the remaining test matches this summer. Joe Denly again has not done enough to justify his place. Zak Crawley has done better but has not quite done enough to ensure selection, however he should be restored to the number 3 slot and get a sustained run in that position now. Whether Ben Stokes bowls or not, England cannot get away with just 6 batsman against Pakistan so Jos Buttler will go back to 7 – and I am not sure it suits him at 7 – his record at 6 is better. However, at 6 he had a chance to cement his place, but did not quite take it. He will keep his place, but needs a hundred.

As for the bowlers? We knew England had strong options, but it would be good to see match changing performances from Woakes, Archer and Wood. Archer was close at Southampton and Woakes followed on from Broad’s magic and Wood was not at his best. Team selection does not get any easier in a biosecure bubble.