England's series win against South Africa was the first for skipper Joe Root. As captain he has come into his own and has led the team, especially the youngsters, admirably. In the final Test match I believe it was England’s positive attitude that was key to winning. Whenever England played in a rain effected game, I remember as a player, my tendency was to get lazy and switch my mind off the game. You start to play card games in the dressing room and forget that you are playing a Test match for your country. Players can get into that mindset but Joe Root seemed like a captain hungry to win. It was evident that he wasn’t satisfied with a 2-1 series win but wanted a 3-1 scoreline. It just suggests how dominant England were after the first Test.
What changed England's fortunes after the first Test match was that they were able to post big totals. Whenever England are able to score big they seem to have the ability to take twenty wickets in the match. Also, the emergence of Ollie Pope, Dom Bess and Dom Sibley was key. The youngsters gave Joe Root an opportunity to captain the team his way.
I think England are a better team with Mark Wood in the side. He reminds me of myself when I played for England. He is full of energy and enthusiasm and is always involved in the game. For England to win the Ashes in Australia they will need Mark Wood to be fit throughout the series. His fitness is always going to remain a big concern but England have excellent options in Jofra Archer and Chris Woakes. England were looking for a solid opener and they have one in Dom Sibley. He finally showed his potential. Since the retirement of Alastair Cook England have struggled to find a replacement. Sibley is able to bat long periods of time. But it remains to be seen if has has a solid game against spin in Sri Lanka?
For me, the find of the tour was Ollie Pope. He looks like a batsman of international class. He has the shots on the offside and the onside and is able to read the game well and switch gears when required. Should he be batting higher than number six or should he remain in the same position is something worth considering. With the tour of Sri Lanka coming up if he has a solid game plan against spin I would put him up the order. But he is still young and needs to find his feet in international cricket. Number six is a good position to bat and learn about the game.
Dom Bess has surprised everyone with his bowling performance. His work with Rangana Herath and his new bowling coach Jeetan Patel has worked well for him. He has a good action and looks like a confident cricketer. I still feel he is more of a batting all-rounder than a bowling all-rounder.
I still believe Moeen Ali should be part of the squad in Sri Lanka because he has the experience whereas both Jack Leach and Dom Bess are relatively new comers to international cricket.