But England are not a pompous bunch; they are generally great ambassadors for the sport. It is only this northern summer we have really heard them say anything on the field. They showed a mean side at Lord’s after deciding they had been too nice for too long, and it served them well.
In Manchester, they learnt they need to be better at picking their moments. It is one thing to try to unsettle opponents by playing hard, another to be boorish and look like sore losers. Would Stokes have hauled Jacob Bethell off had he been close to a maiden century or Joe Root in sight of his first in Australia? Currently, the verbals do not quite align with this team. It appears somewhat performative rather than natural.
“I had plenty to say when I played – and copped plenty back,” said Mitchell Johnson. “But that came with a bit of purpose. Sledging only works when you are dominating. And to be honest, right now England aren’t. Their Bazball model has some punch, but it’s flimsy when conditions swing or spin. So maybe talking tough is a cover. A bit of theatre while they figure out the actual cricket.”
Bazball has been modified this year, but it still has to prove itself in tough batting conditions. India’s rearguard highlighted England’s weakness.
When presented with the challenge of batting for 108 overs at Edgbaston, they were all out inside 69, losing by 336 runs.
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Jamie Smith was caught on the boundary going for a third six in an over, a shot that showed England were still unwilling to change tack or simply did not know how to play the situation because of how they regard draws.
That is what they can take out of the Old Trafford Test. Because they have seen how wound up they were by a team frustrating the hell out of them. It can make a draw feel like a win.
Telegraph, London
