Steve Harmison, the former England right-arm seamer has opened up on the national team’s performance in the first Test against India in Nottingham. Though the opening Test of the five-match series resulted in a draw, the home side had plenty of positives out of it. Steve Harmison believes that Joe Root’s fighting knocks in both innings were the biggest positive for England.
Joe Root top-scored in both the innings and held England’s innings together to keep their heads above water. The 30-year old scored 64 out of England’s 183 runs in the first innings, followed by a hundred under pressure in the second to leave 209 for India to chase.
Steve Harmison: England Needs To Fix Their Top Order As Top 3 Haven’t Fired
Steve Harmison feels England has a few things to fix, notably their top order ahead of the second Test as they have not fired. The 42-year old believes that Dom Sibley did a remarkable job of occupying the crease, but he feels that the opener needs a better strike rate. Steve Harmison also reminded about Ollie Pope’s potential to slot back in, remarking he would be fit at some point.
“There are a few things England need to fix. England have got more questions than India, going into Lord’s. They need to fix their top order as one, two, and three hasn’t fired. Sibley batted a long time and that’s his job, but the strike rate has got to be better.”
“But he occupied the crease and if he had not done that, England would have lost by the end of day four. So, they have got question marks. They have Ollie Pope to come back in. I think he has got to fit somewhere. Back to back Test matches, you going to go with a four-man seam attack, with question marks on Sam Curran, how much he has got,” Harmison told Cricinfo.
Apart from Joe Root’s contributions, the hosts’ bowling performance also punched above its weight, notably dismissing the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant cheaply in the first innings. Joe Root, who had failed to reach half-century in his last five Tests, ended up scoring 64 in the first innings and then came up with a masterful 109 helping England put up a much-improved batting show in their 2nd innings.
Steve Harmison: Back To Back Tests With 3 Days Off Is A Big Ask For 35 And 39-Year-Old Experienced Pacers Stuart Broad And James Anderson
However, Steve Harmison underlined that back-to-back Test matches with a four-man seam attack, with two veterans is a big ask. Simultaneously, the Durham fast bowler named Joe Root coming amongst the runs as the biggest positive for the hosts and equally praised the bowling attack.
He conceded that bowling out a daunting Indian batting line-up within 90 overs and under 300 in the first innings bodes well moving forward. Thus, Steve Harmison thinks the balance of the attack could be considered, but Joe Root remains their biggest plus point.
“You have got a 35 and a 39-year old experienced bowlers at the armoury. But back to back Test matches with three days off is going to be a big ask. So, won’t be surprised if there is a bowling change. Root is a massive positive, huge positive, and the way England bowled, not a lot of bad balls, and you are well within your rights to say they don’t deserve to be dropped.”
“When you look at it, the calibre of the Indian batting line-up, bowling them out within 90 overs and under 300 runs in the first innings of a Test, that should bode quite well here. From that point of view, the balance of the England could be looked at, but the biggest plus point for England is Joe Root,” he added.
James Anderson’s four for 54 against India in the 1st innings took him third in the all-time list of Test wicket-takers with 621. James Anderson, already the leading seam bowler on the list, moved past India spinner Anil Kumble to leave only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne ahead of him.
England may change their bowling combination in the 2nd Test as they have alternatives like pacers Craig Overton and Mark Wood and spinners Jack Leach and Dom Bess in their squad. The batting line-up may also be changed with Haseeb Hameed replacing out of form Zak Crawley.