Joe Denly will on Thursday be handed his first England Test cap from the country’s greatest run-scorer, Alastair Cook, and with it a golden opportunity to book a spot for this summer’s Ashes series.
The Kent right-hander makes his debut at opener at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium – a straight swap for the discarded Keaton Jennings – in what is a must-win match if Joe Root’s besieged tourists are to claim a series victory over West Indies from 1-0 down.
It is one of at least two changes to the XI humbled in Barbados. Stuart Broad, doubtless fired up by his omission from that 381-run defeat, replaces Adil Rashid, while Jack Leach is on standby in a trimmed down 12-man squad should the pitch require a second specialist spinner (despite looking a green-tinged batting surface 24 hours out).
For Denly it represents a remarkable late chance in a career once shackled by his Test ambitions. The 32-year-old may have averaged 34 batting at No 3 in Division Two last season, and he has not opened in first-class cricket since 2015, but with nine centuries against the Dukes ball in the past 24 months, and his leg-breaks ever maturing, there is a quiet confidence about this seasoned professional.
The question now, after Cook hands over England cap No 690 in his capacity as a former player turned BBC pundit, is whether this transfers to runs against a four-pronged West Indies pace attack. If it does there is every chance of facing Australia in the second half of a monumental home season that kicks off with the World Cup in May.
“I think we have to keep a pretty open mind,” said Root, when asked whether Denly will get an extended Ashes audition. “He’s definitely got an opportunity to show what he’s capable of. He’s obviously worked extremely hard, impressed on the two tours he’s been on. Hopefully he can continue the fine form he had last year for Kent.”
Root was keen to stress that Jennings – strong against the spinners but having struggled when facing the quicker men – remains part of England’s plans, and that Rashid’s omission, after 26 wicketless overs went for 117 runs in Barbados, was “not a reflection on how he has gone about things”.
The leg-spinner has been granted an early return to Bradford, with his wife expected to give birth to their second child in the coming weeks, and he will return as one of Eoin Morgan’s key men come the one-day series that begins in Barbados on 20 February.
On Rashid’s replacement, Broad, Root said: “No one likes being left out. Especially someone as experienced as him. I expect him to come back and try to prove a point. He’s someone who can be quite stubborn sometimes and likes to prove people wrong. That’s a very good strength of his and something that can work in our favour.”
Root insisted he took the field in Barbados with the team he wanted amid queries about the decision-making process on tour. The captain and coach [Trevor Bayliss] usually select the team away from home but Ed Smith, the national selector who is with the squad until the end of this week, has added an extra voice in this regard.
“It’s important we work together on things,” Root said. “That’s the way that’s been very successful for us in the recent past – beating the world’s No 1 team, India, at home and then winning away in Sri Lanka – and I think it would be wrong to starting questioning that after one very difficult week.”
Limp batting, rather than selection, is the chief cause of England’s predicament and it is here where Root needs a response. Having been roughed up by the hostile Shannon Gabriel in England’s doomed fourth innings – not least when awkwardly gloving to slip off a no-ball – runs from the captain in Antigua would send a strong message.
Root, fresh from a couple of blows in the nets on Tuesday, added: “[That spell by Gabriel] was one of those periods where the feet weren’t moving as you’d like, I wasn’t picking up the ball as quickly as I would have liked. I’m fully aware I will probably get a few more balls in that area at the start of my innings but it’s part of Test cricket.”
