The new coach and his captain, Joe Root, held the team together after defeat in the first Test and were rewarded with a 3-1 triumph in South Africa
The opposition was never formidable but England’s predicament was. After the defeat at Centurion in the first Test the wheels were coming off. A flu epidemic had been rampaging through the squad; Ben Stokes, the heartbeat of the side, was having to deal with his father’s very serious health concerns. Then on the eve of the second Test there was a more conventional setback because of a problem with Jofra Archer’s elbow followed by the more exasperating football injury to Rory Burns, which seemed like a microcosm of an expedition out of control.
Yet England won the next three Tests emphatically. In part this highlights the fragility of their opponents. South Africa had too many debutants, albeit old ones, too many senior players struggling for form, too many issues beyond the boundary. But it also reflects the calmness of England’s management team, with the soft-spoken Yorkshiremen Chris Silverwood and Joe Root at the helm.
Written by Vic Marks in Johannesburg
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/jan/28/cricket-series-win-england-vindicates-chris-silverwood under the title “Big series win for England vindicates Chris Silverwood’s fresh approach | Vic Marks”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
