England look to be on the brink of a 3-1 series win over South Africa – but their worries over the make-up of the top five haven’t gone away
George Dobell at Old Trafford06-Aug-20171:46
‘I felt like we needed a few shots’ – Moeen
Of course it was Joe Root who should score the runs to take England into an impregnable position.Of course it was Root who should best assess the conditions and adapt his game to provide the contribution his side required. And of course it was Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali who should provide the crucial supporting roles after England had, once again, lost their first four wickets relatively cheaply.There is little doubt England have the makings of a good side. There’s no doubt that Root is a top-class player or that Stokes and Moeen provide enviable all-round depth. With Alastair Cook established at the top of the order, Jonny Bairstow at No. 7 and the seam attack looking settled, England look set to defeat South Africa – the world’s No. 2 rated Test side – 3-1. As that would be their first home win against them in almost two decades, it shouldn’t be underestimated.If it seems premature to expect an England victory, it is worth reflecting on the conditions in Manchester. No team has previously made 300 to win in the fourth innings of a Test here and South Africa will need to register their highest total of the series if they are to do so. And, on a surface that is, in Keshav Maharaj’s words, turning “viciously” and showing increasing signs of uneven bounce – a couple of balls have scuttled horribly low – that seems mighty unlikely. Several of the South Africa team are carrying injuries. If they win, it will be one of the great performances.That’s why Root’s innings was so impressive. Unable to play with the freedom with which he is associated, he was obliged to cut out many of his normal scoring strokes and wait for opportunities to deflect, nudge or punish the loose ball. Just 14 of his runs were accumulated in front of the wicket and none were scored in the V between mid-on and mid-off. Five of his six boundaries came from sweeps on the leg side and the other one was a late cut.
England came into this series with three holes to fill in the top five and they leave it with those holes still gaping
But if his ability to sweep along the ground with great power probably provided the most eye-catching moments, it was the demands he made of his partners that was most revealing. Twice Keaton Jennings was rebuked for dawdling over a sharp single as Root, understanding how precious runs could be on this surface, ran with a speed and greed that underlined how much he wanted this success and how hard he was prepared to work for it.While England have developed a reputation for playing somewhat flash-but-brittle cricket over recent months, Root – and Stokes, who is maturing by the match – both demonstrated the commitment to make ugly runs as required.So, just as Virat Kohli’s second-innings 81 against England in Visakhapatnam – a masterful demonstration of batsmanship on a deteriorating pitch – might be considered better than his first innings 167, so Root’s innings of 49 might be considered worth double on an easier surface. The manner of his dismissal, playing on against one that died on him, demonstrated how difficult this pitch has become.For that reason, this can’t be deemed a great surface. While pitches offering some assistance to the bowlers generally result in the most entertaining Tests, the assistance gained from uneven bounce injects too much of an element of chance. There are strong mitigating circumstances to take into account here – not least the poor weather that rendered pitch preparation problematic ahead of the game – but it would be a shame if a well-contested series ended with South Africa facing almost impossible conditions.Not that England will be concerned about that. Despite their likely series win, they have other worries. Most pressing, they came into this series with three holes to fill in the top five and they leave it with those holes still gaping.Joe Root had to play watchfully as the pitch got tougher to bat on•Getty ImagesJennings’ struggles here – he was dropped in both innings and was unable to take advantage – will surely end his stint in the side and, while Tom Westley has enjoyed some encouraging moments and warrants an extended opportunity, the case of Dawid Malan was more troubling. Under normal circumstances, he would be given more than two Tests to prove himself, but whether an Ashes series looming around the corner counts as normal is debatable. He is a fine player but his dismissals in this game – chasing a wide one in the first innings and propping forward without conviction in the second – have been worryingly soft.England now have three Tests against West Indies to fill those batting holes. That may well mean drafting Mark Stoneman into the side now as opener to give him the chance to settle before the hostility of an Ashes tour, while the team management will be hoping Westley can gain some confidence in those next three games. Gary Ballance and Malan might be left fighting it out for the No. 5 position, though there must be a case for any one of Stokes, Moeen or Bairstow filling it or even just shuffling up a place. The likes of Nick Gubbins, who is enduring a frustratingly modest season, or Joe Clarke, who plays in Division Two but looks to have the character to relish the step-up in quality and intensity, could yet make a bid for a place with a consistent run of form. Haseeb Hameed, who failed on his return to first-class cricket on Sunday, has so far been unable to demand an opportunity.Moeen played beautifully here. Given the freedom to attack by the foundations built by Root, he survived an early drop at slip to take the game well beyond the reach of South Africa. Skipping down the pitch, he hit Maharaj off his previously immaculate length and made a decent case for batting at No. 5, as he has told the team management would be his preference.Either way, this was another example of the excellence of a few masking the inadequacies of the rest. And while eight fit and firing men might be good enough against this South Africa side, it would be naive to think it will be good enough to retain the Ashes in Australia.
