England are building team that can win the next Ashes
Impressive victory over West Indies is far more valuable to hosts than first Test and suggests they will thrive in tougher conditions
![Shoaib Bashir – England are building team that can win in Australia](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/cricket/2024/07/21/TELEMMGLPICT000386388145_17216030877810_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqaeGXZOmyhYXD3XpceopYAvX6oiaLLEI8EbvJwRjm0pM.jpeg?imwidth=350)
Impressive victory over West Indies is far more valuable to hosts than first Test and suggests they will thrive in tougher conditions
There appears little wrong with the great bowler from a physical perspective but the time has come for England to plan for the future
Surrey player is known for his explosive batting rather than glovework, but bold move has been made with an eye on next year’s Ashes
Big decisions over Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott await for Rob Key, who must find a way to make white-ball side a threat again
Putting fun before winning is not the right approach – miserable sequence of results have given England fans little cause for celebration
England have created a wonderful player environment that is cosier than most in elite sports and this can breed complacency
If there were more understanding about what happens in the Hawk-Eye truck there would be less controversy
It was imperative that England prolonged their first innings – the partnership between Root and Foakes might yet win the match
England need to wake up and realise they cannot win playing just one way
England need former captain to become their rock again for victory in India, but statistics show he is struggling against slower deliveries
Performances against West Indies and Pakistan exposed key issues for Australia, who have begun to look jaded and lacking in fresh talent
Trying to blast his way back into form hasn't worked for Root – he should be allowed to do what he's best at
India continue to underachieve, given their huge resources – but England must prepare for a reaction in the rest of this series
Ben Stokes' side became smarter as the Ashes wore on and they have to adopt that nuanced approach from the start to win on toughest tour
Results-wise, this year was a disappointment and the pressure is on the likes of Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley and Harry Brook to react
Likes of Warner, Smith, Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood should now stand with Ponting, Waugh, Gilchrist, Warne and McGrath