With Ben Stokes injured and doubtful for the third and final Test match of England’s series in the West Indies, Alastair Cook will be forced into making at least one change despite his side’s strong performance in the win in Grenada.
Having admitted he would have preferred to play an unchanged side, Cook will probably avoid an overhaul of the side, which means that Jonathan Trott, Chris Jordan and Stuart Broad, who have come under some criticism for their performances thus far, should keep their places.
Despite an excellent innings in the opening match of the series, of 79 from 95 deliveries, Stokes has not had a vintage series, and has only managed to take five wickets. His personal battles with Marlon Samuels and Jermaine Blackwood have been entertaining, but the West Indians have ultimately had the last laugh in both cases, and he is unlikely to feature on the ground where he broke his hand punching a locker in 2014, which led him to missed that year’s World T20.
However, Stokes’ back injury means that the balance of the team should improve – in Grenada, Jos Buttler batted at number eight, despite having averaged 65 in Test cricket before that game – and the opportunity to play another specialist bowler, rather than an all-rounder, will probably be seized.
The candidates for a fast bowling spot are Liam Plunkett of Yorkshire and Durham’s Mark Wood, both of whom bowl at significantly higher speeds than Broad or James Anderson. With the makeup of England’s attack having been criticised for the past year, with regards to the similar speeds and actions of the seamers, the opportunity to pick one of Plunkett and Wood is a tempting one; Barbados is likely to be a slightly quicker pitch than Antigua or Grenada, so an out-and-out fast bowler would be a useful addition to the side.
On the other hand, there may be a temptation to pick Yorkshire’s leg-spinning all-rounder Adil Rashid, whose decline then rise since being dropped by England in 2009 has been staggering. In the West Indies’ last Test at the Kensington Oval, against New Zealand in June 2014, both Shane Shillingford and Sulieman Benn played, and after a spell of good weather in the past week, there is a chance that a combination of Moeen Ali and Rashid on a dry, turning wicket could be lethal.
Talking about Rashid, England’s assistant coach, Paul Farbrace, said “It’s possible two spinners could play, it was talked about long and hard before the last game. The progression he has made in the last few weeks has been excellent; he adds hugely to your batting as well. He is a fine player and has put himself into a really good position.”
There is also a chance that England may feel under some pressure to pick the Bradford-born 27-year-old, having turned down Yorkshire’s request for him to return to the county after his non-selection in the Second Test. However, it is likely that they will simply make a decision depending on the wicket, rather than the perceived pressure from the White Rose county.
Geoffrey Boycott’s take on the matter is that Rashid should play, but won’t.
“I would play Adil Rashid. If it gets very hot, as it has been over the last few days, then you can’t keep bowling seamers, they will get knackered,” said the Test Match Special commentator.”But I know England will not play Rashid. The selectors picked him, but the captain Cook and the manager Peter Moores don’t like him and think he is too expensive.”
Is there any chance that Chris Jordan could be left out to allow both Rashid and another seamer to be picked? The Sussex man must prove his worth in England’s attack after five wickets at 45.60 in the series, although his superb fielding remains a great asset, and he has proven in his short international career that he is a handy batsman, too. Furthermore, given Cook’s reluctance to make too many changes, he will probably retain his place.
After two fairly dead, flat wickets in the first two Test matches, ESPNCricinfo’s Alex Winter is optimistic about the chances of a better track in Barbados.
“The wicket in Bridgetown is anticipated to provide a bit more pace and bounce, which is good news for everybody. It is also a little drier so spin could play more of a part than the previous Tests of this series,” wrote Winter. “In short, we might have a more sporting wicket. A good crowd is anticipated for the first day with it being a public holiday.”
Probable England XI: Alastair Cook (c), Jonathan Trott, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.
