The handbrake on Ashes speculation has been released with the conclusion of the Test series against West Indies. This may not be a good thing but it is inevitable. Even Trevor Bayliss, usually so wary about looking too far ahead, seems eager to enter the fray with observations about who he would prefer to bat at three and the likely provenance of the tour party. After the Lord’s Test he said the squad was likely to comprise only players chosen in the past 18 months, which is bad news for any blind-side runners around the counties.
For local readers it is possible to start on an optimistic note. England can set off for Australia with the No1 bowler in the world in their ranks. After nine more Test wickets at Lord’s, including his 500th, James Anderson now sits above the Indian spinners, the two Ravis, Jadeja and Ashwin. At 35 years of age Anderson remains a huge asset to a captain, wherever the Test is played.
Related: England eyeing Ashes win over ‘far from stable’ Australia, says Trevor Bayliss
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