Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, has asked the English top-order batsmen to learn from the example set by Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes following his team’s 203-run defeat to India in the third Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Wednesday, August 22.
It might seem surprising that England succumbed to such a heavy defeat immediately after their innings-and-159-run win in the previous Test at Lord’s, but that has been the theme for them in recent years while playing at home. The coach hasn’t yet been able to place his finger on why that is happening.
“It’s not as if we don’t talk about it behind closed doors, try to work out why it’s happening,” said Bayliss. “It hasn’t been any different over the last two or three years; we play extremely well and then get beaten well. But it sets things up for a really good last two Test matches.
“He is striking the ball well in the nets, and I wouldn’t say necessarily that he is out of form. He’d obviously like to score a few more runs than he has got just lately.
“But, if he is striking the ball well, and he is still motivated to play, then it is more than possible to get those big scores again.”
England will get a chance to address their batting troubles when they walk out at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton for the fourth Test, starting on August 30.
