Last week, Joe Root celebrated a big milestone in his Test match cricket career. He registered his first Test century on Australian soil in the second Test of the Ashes series in Brisbane. This performance is especially impressive in the context of England having endured such dark days on the world stage, like their most recent 4-0 series loss. Root’s batting renaissance is great news for the team as they try to get themselves back in competitive order against Australia.
Root’s century only goes to illustrate his remarkable individual renaissance. It’s a testament too to the dramatic promise and potential shown by most of the mainstays in the England setup. Ollie Pope, for example, has been a player who has made impressive strides since the 2021-22 Ashes series. His batting average jumped from 33.74 prior to the series to 39.01 as he came to the current series. Additionally, his strike rate took a huge leap from 51.17 to a very solid 72.23.
Yet, Pope has an uncanny knack for converting that potential into performance. He made the leap from only one century in his first 18 Tests to scoring eight centuries in his last 38 Tests. This is a departure from his previously atrocious 21% success rate, which juxtaposes with his previous success numbers drastically.
Zak Crawley, another key England cog, is another player who has taken significant leaps in his level of play. One area of improvement was huge—he raised his expected batting average from 28.34 all the way up to a solid 33.01. His strike-rate likewise rocketed from 53.09 to a whopping 71.34. All these developments combine to make a much more dangerous batting order for England to face as the series moves on.
In the other camp, Ben Stokes has gone through ups and downs in his form. His batting average increased to 43.24 from September of 2019 until December of 2021. It crashed down to 34.91 at the beginning of this Ashes series. This drop is evident, Stokes has produced some truly incredible developments with his bowling. Tongue shared the honor with Josh Tongue in 2015 when he became England’s joint-highest wicket-taker in Tests.
Perhaps most importantly, McCullum and Stokes have set an example from the top, building a culture that welcomes challenges and nurtures confidence. To the outside observer, their collective leadership has proven Thursday’s coming success for the players. Both have made no secret of their desire to build a more skilful and confident group of players.
“In terms of the playing group, we’re absolutely committed to the management.” – Joe Root
Mark Wood and Jack Leach have been tireless under-appreciated workhorses in the “Bazball” era. Their records demonstrate an extraordinary stability, which is a testament to their high expectations even predating this era. Their reliability gives the entire squad depth as they play against one of their biggest rival’s toughest lineups.
Just as England tackle Australia in the 2023 Ashes, so begins the process of trying to create a winning wave from those latest displays. Both players have raised their numbers and raised their batting averages. This is indicative of their concerted, strategic long-term push to bounce back from huge previous losses and fortify their influence across Australia.
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