What Steps Must England Take to Win the Ashes?

England is facing defeat in the first Test against Australia for the third time in a row.

The tone of the game was different, with Ben Stokes’ side doing the majority of the running across five thrilling days to set up a finish, but the eventual result was the same as in 2017, 2019, and 2021.

Australia won each of those series, displaying their powers in 4-0 triumphs at home and retaining after a 2-2 draw on tour four years ago.

England will now need to overcome a 1-0 deficit with four games remaining, but what should they do?

Keep believing in “Bazball”

Defeat against their closest rivals would be painful, but now is not the time to abandon a strategy that has yielded 11 wins in 14 Test matches under Ben Stokes’ captaincy.

England, in particular, has demonstrated that their ultra-aggressive batting approach can harm an Australia attack that had believed to be resistant.

They scored at a blistering 5.03 per over in the first innings and maintained it at 4.11 on a slicker surface in the second, landing crucial punches along the way.

Scott Boland batted around the park for the first time in his Test career, while Joe Root’s reverse ramps will have put the Australian quicks to the test.

Moeen’s finger needs to be fixed or find a replacement

When Jack Leach suffered a stress fracture, there was always going to be some danger in bringing Moeen Ali out of international retirement.

The 36-year-old last played first-class cricket nearly two years ago, and his lack of conditioning cost England when his right index finger burned and burst open.

From then on, he struggled to grip and rip the ball, and he was limited to just seven overs on day five, with part-timer Joe Root picking up the majority of the workload.

If the medical staff is sure that they can correct the condition in the coming days, Moeen should be given another shot at Lord’s, but if history repeats itself, Surrey’s Will Jacks appears to be the next man in and should be called up.

Needs to stop declaring early  

England has lost a Test match for the second time in a row after declaring eight down in the first innings.

Australia has crept across the line after New Zealand edged them by a single run in Wellington in February.

Stokes’ proclivity for calling an early halt to his team’s run-scoring has been an intriguing aspect of his captaincy, and it has worked beautifully at times, particularly three Tests ago in Mount Maunganui.

However, declaring after only 78 overs, the earliest ever in the Ashes, may have been a little too drastic. Root was on 118 not out, and it wouldn’t have taken him long to score enough runs to change the outcome.

Bairstow needs a confidence boost

England exposed themselves to criticism by dropping Ben Foakes, a guy Stokes has long rated as the best wicketkeeper in the world. But, with Harry Brook unstoppable after a productive winter and the star performance of 2022, Jonny Bairstow, back in shape, Foakes was the fall guy.

Bairstow is a veteran catcher, but he blew at least three opportunities that he would have liked to take, racking up a bill that his quick 78 in the early innings could not entirely cover.

Those advocating a Foakes recall at Lord’s should reconsider, with the team officially announced and Bairstow out.

For the time being, they must rally behind a player who thrives on confidence and assurance in his role. He and England cannot afford any more costly blunders, but expressing faith may be the best way to avoid them next week.

Allow Wood to make his mark

England lacked sheer pace in their starting XI at Edgbaston, a characteristic Mark Wood possesses in plenty. With Jofra Archer and Olly Stone both sidelined, he is the only man who can consistently exceed 90mph.

He is most effective in short, crisp stints, and doubts about Stokes’ capacity to share the effort may have contributed to his absence from the first Test. But, on a flat Lord’s pitch, he could be just the thing.

Wood was England’s most outstanding performance in Australia during the 2021-22 Ashes and has earned Australia’s respect.

After an extremely quiet day, record wicket-taker James Anderson could be on the way out, but it’s also feasible to rely on Root’s spin and go with a four-man speed attack. In any case, it appears that Wood is a game changer they cannot afford to overlook.

Also Read: Women’s Ashes 2023: Format, Venue, Squads, Schedule And Streaming Details (cricfiles.com)