England went down 3-2 to Australia in an entertaining ODI series, with the hosts coming back from 0-2 down before losing in a rain-affected decider. Here are the main talking points from the series.
Brook, Duckett and Head show cross-format brilliance remains possible
Travis Head’s brutal, unbeaten 154 underlined what has been clear for a while: that he’s the best cross-format batter on the planet. But what’s striking is how little competition there is, with very few players considered very good to world class across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. As the schedule has prevented players from turning out in all three consistently, so too have the demands of each format diverged to make batting in Test and T20 cricket effectively different sports. But even beyond Head, the success of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook showed that it is still possible to master both red and white. Just now, it’s the preserve of a handful, rather than something to be expected.
England seam attack takes shape with eye on future
While Brendon McCullum is yet to take charge, and Jos Buttler wasn’t at the helm, this series still marked the start of a new era. Duckett and Brook showed why they deserve to be at its heart, and there were sprinkles of promise from the rest of the batters. But it might be the burgeoning seam attack that offers most encouragement. There were ups and downs, as is to be expected, but Jofra Archer looked close to his best when he played, and he, Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts dovetailed in scintillating fashion to drive home England’s massive Lord’s win. It’s a development whose significance could extend beyond ODI cricket too, with the seamers used this series all likely to be in England’s plans for next winter’s Ashes.
Salt’s starts boost England, but will they be enough long-term?
Watching Phil Salt can bring to mind Shane Warne’s cutting but accurate assessment of Monty Panesar: That he had not played 30 Tests, but the same Test 30 times. Similar can be said of Salt, and that’s a large part of why England like him. He goes hard no matter the situation or the bowler, and if he swings and misses once, it won’t stop him from going after the next one. This series he averaged less than 20, and yet his consistent fast starts clearly aided Duckett and Brook, who were able to bed in safe in the knowledge the run rate would keep ticking on. However, it’s hard not to wonder if just a tad more caution could bring significantly improved results. Josh Hazlewood worked Salt over, and yet Salt kept swinging. There’s no shame in not trying to smash one of the world’s best new ball bowlers over cover every ball. His ODI average is now just below 32, and he hasn’t faced 30 balls in an innings against a Full Member since his debut series. For all the benefit elsewhere, England will, at some point, need more substance.
Carey pushes Inglis for starting berth, but there could be room for both
While Australia’s side is settled, one selection debate that has bubbled under is who should be their first-choice wicketkeeper. Josh Inglis snatched the gloves off Alex Carey during the World Cup, but a quad injury to the former allowed the latter to stake a claim with two important 70-odds. That Inglis retained the gloves when both were in the XI shows the pecking order remains in place, but it must be close between the two. However, there could be space for both in the side. David Warner’s post-World Cup retirement has allowed Mitch Marsh to move up to open, and with him, Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head all offering passable part-time options in the top six, an extra batter can be accommodated. That could be bad news for Cameron Green, injured mid-series and with just two fifties from 28 ODIs thus far.
'Who cares?' controversy reveals brittle England-fan relations
Harry Brook’s flippant assessment after England’s defeat in the first ODI was so self-evidently correct - batters sometimes need to try and hit sixes, and will sometimes be caught doing so - that it made the reaction all the more revealing. England have had a strange year across formats, with par performances in India and the T20 World Cup, two home Test series wins, and yet the sense of a fanbase becoming a little irritated with some of their bolder statements growing. Some of the criticism levelled at Brook clearly bubbled out of frustration at the Test team, who have often made clear that they are about more than winning and losing, and while those press-conference proclamations have been reined in, the furore sparked by Brook’s fairly benign observation shows that the leeway has lessened. It’s also easier to say you don’t mind too much about winning when you are, generally, winning.
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