There is no better time for an honest review than after a flawed victory. England have a win under their belts against Bangladesh and by 6pm on Thursday it was all reassuringly straightforward. But earlier there had been disconcerting moments and some of them took place before the match began.
The first ones came with the teamsheet. Might Jake Ball become the new Gary Ballance? These two are very worthy cricketers. But in the 2015 World Cup the selection of an out-of-form Ballance for England’s first match came to personify the insecure safety-first instincts that were to bedevil the side throughout that (much longer) campaign.
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