England start their summer by hosting New Zealand for three Test matches. The first of them starts on 2nd June at the ‘Home of Cricket’, the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. England start this series with loads of changes in personnel and player roles. The new era of Brendon McCullum as the Test coach and Ben Stokes as the Test captain might have some exciting cricket in store for World Cricket, considering their playing styles.
England have recalled their most prolific fast bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad. There is also a change in the batting order for England. Ollie Pope is set to bat at number three, a position where he has never batted before for England. Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes and Ben Foakes will form the middle order. We look at some of the key points that might just shape the Test series.
Bairstow at 5
Bairstow made a stunning return to the Test side against West Indies by scoring a scintillating century in the first Test. However, post that 140 in the first innings of the series, Bairstow managed only 86 runs in the next five innings. Also, all those runs came in at number six. Against New Zealand, Bairstow will bat at number five.
Bairstow has batted at all positions from three to eight, and his average of 27.97 at number five is his second-worst. His worst average is 10.5 at number four, but he has only batted twice at that position. Out of all the positions where he has batted at least five times, number five is the only position where he hasn’t scored a Test ton.
England are taking a huge gamble on Bairstow the Test batter, especially by batting him at his most uncomfortable position. However, his batting position might turn out to be just the ideal one for him and the team. Bairstow will be sandwiched between England’s two best batters in Root and Stokes. Batting alongside them could possibly bring out the best in Bairstow.
Anderson and Broad’s comeback
England shocked the cricketing world when they announced their Test squad to tour the West Indies in March 2022. Anderson and Broad, England’s two of the highest wicket-takers in Tests, were dropped from the squad to have an eye on the future. As it turns out, it was a short-lived look into the future as both of them have not only made it to the squad against New Zealand but they have also been included in the playing XI for the first Test.
The English pacers in West Indies had a nightmare. All the pacers except Ben Stokes collectively picked up just 17 wickets across three Tests. The five pacers who played at Tests in the Caribbean collectively averaged 40.35 with a strike rate of 93.11.
England going back to Anderson and Broad isn’t a backward step. It is a wise decision of picking the best available resources for the challenge in front of them, bowlers who are most likely to get the wickets of the opposition.
Jack Leach at home
England will field three pacers and one spinner against New Zealand. Jack Leach, who will be the lone spinner, has not played a single home Test since the Ashes in 2019. His record at home is impressive for a finger spinner in England. In his five Tests, Leach has picked up 12 wickets at 28 and a strike rate of 52.3.
With Anderson and Broad both playing in the XI, Leach might have a huge role to play in the first Test. His primary job would be to contain the flow of runs and maintain the pressure from one end. Considering the age of England’s prolific duo, Leach might be needed to bowl longer spells to keep the pacers fresh for their return spells.