England need their captain in the slip cordon and to keep calm against Virat Kohli after a win that has heightened the prospect of a thrilling series
Remember when every nick turned to gold? Jimmy Anderson does, as he reflected fondly at stumps after day three, speaking of a time when England went to the top of the world at the start of this decade. Then, he explained, there was a settled cordon of experienced and established internationals. At Birmingham it was anything but with Dawid Malan and Keaton Jennings at second and third, the duo who were least certain of their spots in the XI. Malan’s redemption came on the final morning, pouching a vital chance with a far higher degree of difficulty than the three he shelled – not least Virat Kohli on 21 in the first innings, a blunder that cost the hosts 128 runs. With the Middlesex captain dropped himself for Lord’s, the answer surely now sits with Joe Root. A fine slipper, the England captain took this summer to stationing himself closer to the bowlers. Shifting back to the business end behind the bat, next to Alastair Cook no less, is the easiest way to rediscover that aura.
Written by Adam Collins
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/aug/05/england-india-lords-lessons under the title “Lessons for Lord’s: how England can build on victory over India”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
