England made no secrets about their Ashes gameplan: hit Australia with hostile pace and try to make them uncomfortable.
What transpired down under was a more nuanced set of conditions, far more akin to what we would expect in the UK. The sight of an Australian bowling attack using a wicketkeeper stood up to the stumps for two of their seam bowlers tells you everything you need to know.
The best teams I played in had bowlers who fulfilled specific roles. Right now, the England attack needs bowlers to fulfill three roles, in addition to skipper Stokes. Those three jobs would be an attack leader, a supporting actor and the X-factor.
This doesn’t mean a particular bowler has to perform only one role across a Test, because the game is more fluid than that. Teams and individuals have to adapt.
Still, I would want my three specialist seamers to fall into those categories.
Ollie Robinson has been recalled to be the attack leader. His ability has never been in question, because anyone who averages 22.92 with the ball in Test cricket has the discipline and skill to do this role.
The attack leader’s attitude is essential – they set the tone for others to follow. When the going gets tough, they are the person the rest of the attack looks to for a reaction, both with the ball and with their body language. The leader has to be ready to be abrasive when required.
Robinson was dropped by England more than two years ago. In almost all of his 20 previous Tests, he would have played with either James Anderson or Stuart Broad as the attack leader.
Now, at the age of 32, he has said he is more mature and more ready to play Test cricket this time around.
He will need to make the correct decisions on when to engage with the opposition, and ensure he stays on the field for all five days. If Robinson can do those two things he has the opportunity to put his own stamp on this England bowling unit. He is the outstanding candidate in the country to be the attack leader.
Gus Atkinson is the supporting actor. The Surrey man is a more reserved character – an assassin rather than a warrior.
Atkinson has a tall, over-the-top style, which means there isn’t a lot that can go wrong with his action. His scrambled-seam stock ball serves him well, he has good control and is quicker than he gets credit for. He should complement Robinson nicely.
Sometimes Atkinson gets criticised for the lack of emotion he shows on the field, but it’s not something I have an issue with. At the age of 28 he has a great opportunity to establish himself as a fixture in the England team.
England’s X-factor is the one man who made himself an automatic choice during the Ashes.
Josh Tongue elevated himself to a nailed-on starter with his hostility and ability to trouble the best players in the opposition. He has a strike-rate of 39.8 in Test cricket and 43.9 in first-class cricket, which makes him ideal for this role.
His awkward angle, coming from beyond the perpendicular, with the ability to move the ball away from right-handers makes him very challenging for a batter to line up.
Looking back, it seems inconceivable he didn’t play in the first Ashes Test in Perth, when England went with five fast bowlers. Now he has the chance to prove he should never again be left out of the biggest matches.
With the control of Robinson, Atkinson and Stokes, Tongue has the freedom to be the wicket-taker every team needs to win Test matches.
