After six, long months, the wait is over, and the debate over who should be England’s Test wicketkeeper can finally resume.
Ever since Ben Foakes scored a century on his Test debut for Sri Lanka in 2018, this conversation hasn’t lasted long. Foakes, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Ollie Pope, Sam Billings and James Bracey have all played at Wicket over the past five years, with the cuffs changed 15 times in that time. In case you were wondering, Buttler donned the gloves in his 13th consecutive Test from his 2019 to his 2021, the longest streak. And at least at some point during that period, he feared he was playing the last innings of his Test career.
Due to the amount of shredding and replacement, the housings on both sides are well aligned and require little retreading. Still, it’s worth revisiting why this issue is being brought up again now. Because in the current situation, this issue has become more than just a choice argument about one choice over the other.
In late summer 2022, Fawkes appeared to have settled the controversy, at least for a short time. After making several important contributions, and scoring a century at Old Trafford in some of the toughest batting conditions of the season, Foakes went beyond being recognized as a mere artist and was awarded a place in the Wisden Academy of Cricket for his achievements. Selected as The Year. Since then, he has only played his three Tests.
Foakes fell ill during the first Pakistan Test, and although he recovered, he was forced to miss the second Test, a foreshadowing of what was to come the following summer. Ollie Pope wore the gloves for reasons of team balance, as England have a good mix of all-round players in their squad. This was not possible in India as Rehan Ahmed was the only player selected to qualify for the all-round. The emergence of Harry Brook, with his third century in three Tests, raised the question of who would stand a chance when Bairstow was back in the spotlight.
Foulkes found his place in England’s new surroundings in New Zealand, where he scored a vital half-century at Mt Maunganui and almost led England to victory in one of the biggest Tests of all time in Wellington. He spoke frankly about the difficulty of finding one. “I’m not a buzzball, as you say,” he joked. But he seemed to be slowly finding his role as the calm in the storm, a calming influence.
While his style may have had something to do with his exclusion the following summer, the main reason was much simpler. With Jonny Bairstow out injured, Brook was invincible. This is not the first time that a top glove manufacturer, once considered a necessity by many, has become an essential luxury for England. Forks wasn’t the first to have to make way.
🚨 England have named a 16-player Test squad for their five-match Test series against India 🚨
Uncapped spinners Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir were nominated for the first time, along with Gus Atkinson. #INDvsENG pic. twitter.com/J9fGGCzuRc
– Wisden (@WisdenCricket) 11. December 2023
This was a courageous decision, but the outcome was uncertain. Bairstow averaged 40 in the Ashes, finished the series with 78, and scored an unforgettable 99 at Old Trafford, but a slip at the stumps cost England the first Test in a series of fine overs. There is no doubt about it. England have everything behind them and they probably won’t spend too much time dwelling on the past to decide what to do with India.
In fact, England haven’t spent much time making decisions. Rob Key, chief executive of the England men’s team, said when announcing the Test squad: “Definitely a decision has to be made and it hasn’t been decided yet.” “It’s a little bit like The Ashes, we get to a point where we feel like we have to make a decision. You know, a lot of things can happen between now and then. That’s Brendon I think it’s all down to (McCallum, England head coach) and Ben (Stokes, England Test captain). [Decisions are made] based on the balance of the site, all sorts of things, all sorts of factors. Obviously the storage location is different from the UK. But that decision will be made in due course. ”
Folkes wants to be seen as more than just a spin specialist, but it’s in the turning lanes that his skills come to the fore. But even on such a difficult pitch, England may want to take as much batting insurance as possible. On a flat course, there may be less need for a top-notch goalie. Equally unlikely in these circumstances, the physical challenge of long stints on the field would be particularly taxing for Bairstow. Bairstow has revealed how simply returning to international cricket after suffering a severe leg fracture was an incredible achievement. . Foakes has scored seven times in Asia, where he averages 41.90 runs with the bat. Bairstow last played wicket for the subcontinent in 2016 and most recently played for St Lucia in 2019 while away from home.
This time we are not just talking about Forks and Bairstow. England rarely had all their batsmen. Now that Ollie Pope’s shoulder has healed and Foakes is back, they have a decision to make. Pope himself has a left-field option, having kept wickets three times in Tests.
The opener is secured at this time. Joe Root and Stokes are guaranteed starters. However, there is a possibility that one of the remaining four players will be absent. Pope was vice-captain, but his performance against the best teams in Asia was below average. Brooks’ Bradman-like start won’t last forever, and he’s staying until the end. Even after his return, Bairstow has not fully regained his form for 2022 and is not a player who will carry the future of this team. Fawkes is Fawkes and England are good at leaving him out.
This is an important decision, but it also feels like a difficult one. History teaches that no matter who Britain chooses, India is likely to prove too strong. And no matter which batting team starts, it’s unlikely they’ll come out of the series unscathed.
Subscribe to the Wisden Cricket YouTube channel for post-match analysis, player interviews, and much more.
