'England fire first Ashes shot, now must make sure it does not backfire'

James Anderson is now a erstwhile England accelerated bowler. No wonderment he was enjoying nan Guinness.

Firstly while being interviewed by Nasser Hussain, past downing a pint connected nan dressing-room balcony, an quality for illustration nan King astatine Buckingham Palace. This was cricketing royalty taking his last bow.

Even if Anderson’s Test farewell didn’t rather person nan play achieved by his aged mates Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad, nan Friday Lord’s ambiance was filled pinch emotion arsenic spectators flooded nan outfield, taking selfies, throwing catches and caressing nan manicured turf.

What a opposition to nan past Test played connected this ground, successful nan Ashes past summer. If location fans had been allowed connected nan outfield successful nan aftermath of nan Jonny Bairstow stumping, anyone successful a baggy greenish headdress would person been successful mortal danger.

One wonders what effect that section and nan result of nan bid had connected England skipper Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. England’s ain mistakes contributing to them going 2-0 down, a titanic effort to get backmost to 2-2 either broadside of a Manchester washout that denied nan chance to regain nan urn.

For nan first 2 years of nan Stokes-McCullum era, everyone from nan England set-up would show anyone who would perceive that they “live wherever their feet are”. Now, England person put their feet 10,000 miles and 16 months distant connected nan adjacent circuit of Australia.

England want nan Ashes backmost and person been unashamedly honorable that nan readying has begun. For Stokes and McCullum, it seems apt their communicative ends down nether and some will crave a portion of nan Aussies.

The skipper has only ever won 1 Ashes series, connected location ungraded successful 2015. In position of trips to Australia, he was portion of an England squad that fell isolated successful 2013-14, did not spell because of nan Bristol incident successful 2017-18 and was only conscionable coming backmost from a break from cricket for nan Covid-hit circuit of 2021-22. Next time, he wants a squad that will springiness occurrence connected his past shot.

There will beryllium nary emotion mislaid from proud New Zealander McCullum, either. Captain of nan Black Caps squad that mislaid nan 2015 World Cup last to Australia successful Melbourne, McCullum only ever won 1 Test against nan Aussies. Playing Australia successful nan last Test of his ain career, McCullum clattered nan fastest Test 100 of each time, disconnected 54 balls. Baz was Bazballing earlier Bazball was a thing.

Rightly aliases wrongly, eras of England Test teams are judged connected nan Ashes. It tin beryllium based on that nan champion measurement to hit Australia is to simply attraction connected becoming nan champion squad possible, beating nan guidance successful beforehand of you connected immoderate fixed day.

But it is not intolerable to beryllium readying for nan early while astatine nan aforesaid clip doing what is correct for now, and nan first Test of England’s refresh could not person gone overmuch better, chiefly because it was nan caller faces that starred successful nan innings demolition of West Indies.

Anderson ne'er managed to return 12 wickets successful a Test successful 188 attempts. Gus Atkinson did it first go, his 12-106 nan champion figures by an England debutant since Queen Victoria was connected nan throne.

The Surrey man is quick, uncomplicated and unassuming. He is simply a very different bowler to Anderson, but it was difficult not to deliberation a torch was being passed erstwhile nan 2 men were operating successful tandem connected nan 3rd and last morning.

When Atkinson took nan winning wicket, frankincense denying Anderson nan glorious send-off, Anderson was nan first man connected nan segment pinch congratulations. Atkinson apologised, but Anderson playfully told him, successful little polite terms, to not interest astir it because nan triumph was much important.

Atkinson is acold from nan vanished article and Lord’s mightiness move retired to beryllium nan champion it ever gets for him, but he has shown it is correct for England to person him successful their plans arsenic they rebuild a gait onslaught pursuing nan exits of Stuart Broad and Anderson successful back-to-back location Tests.

There is simply a mobility of really agelong Chris Woakes remains portion of nan set-up, but he has nan advantage of being nan champion number 8 astatine England’s disposal. One of Dillon Pennington aliases Matthew Potts will travel successful for nan 2nd Test astatine Trent Bridge, while Mark Wood could besides return aft being added to nan squad.

Sam Cook and Olly Stone are bubbling under, Josh Hull is simply a imaginable Ashes bolter and location is dream Jofra Archer tin get fresh capable to play Tests again.

Jamie Smith looked astatine location successful Test cricket, doing everything he needed to pinch nan keeping gloves, yet moreover he admitted that batting is his superior skill.

As Smith was pootling on pinch 30 from 47 deliveries, his displaced Surrey team-mate Ben Foakes would person been forgiven for reasoning that he is perfectly tin of specified a knock. When Smith deed nan afterburners, including a six that bounced disconnected nan tile of nan Tavern Stand, he showed why he has been picked. His 70 was encouraging, pinch nan committedness of much to come.

Shoaib Bashir, connected his location debut, was not required to bowl, but possibly nan biggest boost to England’s early prospects was nan return to afloat fittingness of Stokes.

How overmuch easier nan life of Stokes nan skipper must beryllium now that he has Stokes nan bowler astatine his disposal. The all-rounder’s shiny caller near knee sewage him done an eight-over spell successful nan first innings and a 10-over spell successful nan second. All of a sudden, England person nan equilibrium of a upland goat. Now nan skipper conscionable needs immoderate runs.

Other positives included immoderate breathtaking catches and a batting tempo that suited nan lucifer situation, moreover if astatine slightest 1 of England’s players should person scored a hundred. It won’t person gone unnoticed by nan Aussies that Harry Brook was bounced retired again.

There are dangers attached to England talking astir Australia this acold distant from nan travel down under.

Any benignant of gaffe up from now connected will lead to accusations of taking their oculus disconnected nan ball. In truth, they should beryllium targeting a cleanable expanse of six wins successful nan location Tests against West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer, but nan Windies successful peculiar person a history of producing daze results.

There are different prizes to chase, too. Even pinch nan triumph astatine Lord’s, England dishonesty bottommost of nan World Test Championship,, external partially because of over-rate penalties, but chiefly because they won only 3 of their erstwhile 10 Tests. Climbing that would beryllium a motion of advancement towards their eventual goal.

But England person made their intentions clear. They person pulled nan trigger connected nan first changeable successful nan Ashes battle.

Now they must make judge it does not backfire.