The first glimpse of Test cricket since the introduction of The Hundred has seen England flatter to deceive thus far. A disappointing first day saw Chris Silverwood’s men trail and receive criticism from pundits and fans via social media. Many went into it expecting a rampant Indian display, with most cricket betting sites expecting the visitors to control proceedings throughout the test. To the surprise of few, England’s batters were simply not good enough and the damage inflicted by India would have been significantly worse if it wasn’t for the at times heroic displays of captain Joe Root, who’s impressive 64 helped to prevent a complete embarrassment.
For all the good work the 30-year-old is doing, it looks like he is single handedly trying to prevent a sinking ship. With fast bowler Jofra Archer allegedly ruled out for rest of the year with an elbow fracture, Root is left to bear the load. When you boil it down, England possess some quality test players but things just haven’t clicked since Silverwood’s arrival and leads many offering cricket tips to ask the question – where did it start to go wrong for England?
Pressure from pundits
“Sometimes you have to look at players and ask if they are good enough at this level,” Vaughan told BBC Sport. “Dom Sibley doesn’t offer a great deal – he can’t give you that counter-punch.” Those were the hard-hitting but truthful words bestowed on the current state of England’s opening batters. He added: “Dan Lawrence is young and may come back, but while he has that technique, when he first goes out there you hide behind the curtains.
“You’re not sure what he’s trying to achieve in the first 20 balls. They are two players that look a little bit out of their depth.” When compared to the aggressive but slick batting of Shardul Thakur and the silky bowling of Jasprit Bumrah did enough to bring some light and vibrancy to an otherwise gloomy, overcast day in Nottingham. With pundits piling on the pressure, is it all too much for this current crop?
Too much expectation
All it takes is a few searches on social media and it is easy to see the frustration ensue from England fans. This a young England team lacking experience in the big moments and as demonstrated by other sports throughout this summer, hurling abuse does nothing to resolve the matter. England now have to dust themselves off and rally around to try and make the best of a desolate situation.
Interest elsewhere
The current state of the England side leaves fans at a crossroads. With the emergence of The Hundred, which has recaptured and repacked the original game into a more watchable format. While the test game is more appealing to cricket enthusiasts and is far more organic than its compatriot, The Hundred is winning people over. It will only be a matter of time before players heads are turned in that direction. The attritional game is in danger of becoming out of touch, and with England still massively underperforming, this could become the new status quo.
