Joe Root’s woes
Joe Root must be wondering if he upset a Nottingham gypsy as he has been cursed by bad news.
In the course of a week he has lost the services of his best player and invaluable lieutenant Ben Stokes, his side was dismissed cheaply by India and now Jofra Archer’s elbow injury adds him to the lengthening unavailable list of Olly Stone, Ollie Pope and Chris Woakes.
At least Root’s form has not suffered as he was comfortably England’s top scorer.
In situations like these you address those problems which are resolvable.
The Hundred piling on another white ball format, when there are already two, is not immediately resolvable as the ECB is so committed to it.
It might help the T20 captain Eoin Morgan as Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt and David Wiley all look more than useful but the selection and perseverance with Jason Roy at Test level shows that the white ball game demands a different set of skills.
Indeed the tendency to score too quickly is becoming a Test affliction.
More red ball games might have restored the form of Joe Denly, who offers a spinning option, and the elegant James Vince as the present line-up look increasingly fragile.
At least the mini-collapse of India showed England do not have the monopoly on this but we lack the depth of 16 years ago when Freddie Flintoff, Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles provided a stout rear-guard action.
Root’s only piece of good fortune is the form of Ollie Robinson especially as the Anderson/Broad combo is reaching its end and neither has been as effective abroad.
