After six, long months, the wait is over, and the debate over who should be England’s Test wicketkeeper can finally resume.
Ever since Ben Foakes made an accomplished century on Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2018, this conversation has never been kept quiet for long. All of Foakes, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Pope, Sam Billings and James Bracey have kept wicket in the last five years, with the gauntlets changing hands 15 times in that time. If you were wondering, Buttler managed the longest streak, taking the gloves for 13 Tests in a row between 2019 and 2021. And at at least one point in that stretch, he feared he was playing the last innings of his Test career.
Because of all that chopping and changing, the cases for both sides are well-set and need little retreading. And yet it’s worth revisiting why it has come up again now, because the current circumstances make this more than just a one-or-the-other selection debate.
At the end of the 2022 summer, it seemed as if Foakes had settled the argument for at least a little while. After several important contributions, a century at Old Trafford in some of the toughest batting conditions of the season marked Foakes out as more than just an artist-gloveman, and he was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for his efforts. He has played just three Tests since then.
Ill for the first Pakistan Test, Foakes was left out for the second despite being back fit, a harbinger of what was to come the following summer. Ollie Pope took the gloves for the sake of team balance, with England packing the side with all-rounders – something they are unable to do in India, with Rehan Ahmed the only player selected who could qualify for all-round status. Harry Brook’s arrival, with three centuries in three Tests, brought the question of who would miss out when Bairstow returned into focus.
In New Zealand – where he made an important half-century at Mount Maunganui and almost guided England to victory in one of the greatest Tests of all time at Wellington – Foakes spoke frankly about his struggles to find his place in England’s new environment. “I’m not, as you say, Bazball,” he quipped. But he seemed to be slowly figuring out his role as a moderating influence, the calm in the storm.
His style might have had something to do with his exclusion the following summer, but the main reason is simpler: in the absence of Jonny Bairstow through injury, Brook had made himself undroppable. Not for the first time, the best gloveman, something viewed by many as a necessity, became the luxury England had to forgo. Not for the first time, it was Foakes who had to make way.
🚨 England have named a 16-player Test squad for their five-match Test series against India 🚨
Uncapped spinners Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have been given their maiden call-ups, while Gus Atkinson has also been included.#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/J9fGGCzuRc
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 11, 2023
It was a brave call, and it had uncertain results. Bairstow averaged 40 in the Ashes, bookending the series with scores of 78 and making a memorable 99 not out at Old Trafford. But, in a series of fine margins, his slips behind the stumps arguably cost England the first Test. All that is behind England, and they likely won’t spend too much time raking over the past to decide what they do in India.
In fact, England are yet to spend much time making any sort of call at all. “There’s definitely a decision to be made and it hasn’t been made yet,” said Rob Key, England men’s managing director, upon the announcement of the Test squad. “A bit like the Ashes, we’ll get to the point where we feel like we have to make that decision. You know, a lot can happen between now and then. And that will be down to Brendon [McCullum, England head coach] and Ben [Stokes, England Test captain]. [The decision will be based on the] balance of the side, all kinds of things, all kinds of contributing factors. It’s obviously a different place to keep than it is in England. But that decision will be made nearer the time.”
As much as Foakes might wish to be more than just pigeonholed as a spin specialist, it is on turning tracks that his glovework comes to the fore. However, it is also on such challenging pitches that England might want as much batting insurance as possible. On flatter tracks, the need for a top-class keeper might be lessened. Equally, chances in such conditions come at a premium, and the physical challenge of a long stint in the field would be especially taxing for Bairstow, who has made clear how much of a feat it was simply to return to international cricket following his horrific leg-break. Foakes has kept seven times in Asia, and averages 41.90 with the bat there. Bairstow last kept wicket in the subcontinent in 2016, and last did so anywhere away from home in St. Lucia in 2019.
This time, however, it’s not just about Foakes or Bairstow. England have rarely had a full complement of batters available. Now, with Ollie Pope’s shoulder healed, and Foakes back in the frame, they have a decision to make. Pope himself is a left-field option to keep wicket, having done so three times in Tests.
For now, the openers are secure. Joe Root and Stokes are guaranteed starters. But it’s not out of the question that any of the other four could miss out. Pope has been vice-captain, but also has a sub-par record in Asia and against the best sides. Brook’s Bradman-esque start couldn’t go on forever, and he’s also the last in. Bairstow has not quite rediscovered his 2022 form since his return, and is not the future of this side. Foakes is Foakes, and England are well-versed in leaving him out.
It’s an important decision, but it also feels like fiddling around the edges. History tells us that whoever England pick, India are likely to prove too strong. And whichever batting line-up starts is unlikely to end the series intact.
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