There are not too many clouds on England’s horizon but one is looming ahead of the biggest series of them all this summer – how do they get Jonny Bairstow into their Ashes side?
It is, as sports people say, a nice problem to have but it is one Ben Stokes recognised when he talked about ‘selection nightmares’ after England’s crushing first Test victory.
There is always an injured bowler and if not then rotation comes into play, with the England captain saying last week he wants a ‘squad’ of eight seamers to take on Australia in five Tests in seven weeks in June and July.
But with batters it is different and, as long as Bairstow fully recovers from the badly broken ankle he suffered in freak circumstances last summer, England will have a big call to make after their last Test assignment of the winter here in Wellington on Thursday night.
England coach Brendon McCullum has already said Bairstow walks back into this England side when he is fit – and rightly so after the Yorkshireman became the first symbol of ‘Bazball’ with that thrilling century against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Jonny Bairstow was brilliant last summer as England’s ‘Bazball’ style took off – now he is nearing a return from injury and will present a big selection dilemma
England coach Brendon McCullum (left) and captain Ben Stokes (right) must decide who to drop from the line-up to accommodate the returning Bairstow
So, with Bairstow now running again and expected to be fit to take his place in the Indian Premier League with Punjab Kings ahead of England starting their Test summer with a one-off game against Ireland, one of this all-conquering side has to go.
There is no chance now of England leaving out Harry Brook, who looks to be a certain starter in every format for at least the next 10 years, while Joe Root remains indispensable and Ollie Pope has been earmarked as the next Test captain.
That leaves the possibility of Bairstow opening – after all he does it in 50-over cricket and the way England are playing, why not in Test cricket too? – but Ben Duckett is making a strong case to face Australia while England’s faith in Zak Crawley remains undimmed.
All of which points to Bairstow taking back the gloves he was so reluctant to hand over in the first place and the highly unfortunate Ben Foakes missing out despite keeping as well as ever and making an important contribution with the bat in Mount Maunganui.
Foakes knows all about the disappointment of missing out through no fault of his own, not least in the second Test against Pakistan when he recovered from illness only to see Pope retain the gloves to allow England the luxury of an extra bowler.
But the difference now is he is enjoying himself so much in this England side he is determined not to fret about what might happen when Bairstow comes galloping back.
‘That’s the thing,’ said Foakes when asked here if he was worried about the incoming threat to his place.
‘My England journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster from day one and I’ve had a lot of times out of the team when I’ve wondered how I get my place back.
An opener such as Zak Crawley (pictured) could make way for Bairstow to lead the batting
But a more likely fall-guy will be Ben Foakes, with Bairstow also taking the gloves again
‘I guess thinking about those things doesn’t help my game at all. At the stage I’m at there’s no point stressing over it.
‘I’m producing some good form now in my career and I’m just trying to enjoy that rather than stressing about what might happen.’
There is no doubting the class of Foakes with gloves or bat. He accepts he does not fit in with the swashbuckling image of this England side but they also need a bit of orthodox ballast, which he provided with a half century in the first Test at a crucial time.
‘I’m not, as you’d say, Bazball,’ admitted Foakes. ‘So I have been thinking ‘how do I go about this?’ But ever since I came in it hasn’t been ‘you have to try and hit every ball for six.
‘It’s been play your way, but if the option is on don’t ‘um and aah’ about it and be negative, just go for it’.
‘I can’t do what a lot of the guys in our side can so if I did try to hit it from ball one I’d just get out anyway. So it doesn’t make sense for me to try.
Foakes marks a half-century during England’s first Test victory over New Zealand
‘And I do think when I have contributed it’s been more in the role of batting normally in more pressurised situations when you can’t lose a wicket. Staying true to myself is how I can impact the most.’
There is one other solution. When captain Stokes opened the batting for the only time in Test cricket in a run-chase against Pakistan in 2020 he hit the fastest half century by an English opener, a record that stood until Duckett equalled it in Mount Maunganui.
Stokes has said he wants to impact other players careers more than his own while leading this side and he is at times almost too selfless for the best interests of England.
If Crawley struggles at the Basin Reserve this week and faith really does start to falter in him then maybe the captain can open and Bairstow can come back in at six. It’s a thought.
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