Sir Andrew Strauss has warned England‘s bowling attack still have plenty to prove before they’ll consider themselves Ashes ready.
The previous England captain will help turn Lord’s ‘Red for Ruth’ on Friday, raising funds and awareness for his Ruth Strauss Foundation, and will likely be paying an in depth eye on how the team shapes up on day two against India.
And while he’s content that Ben Stokes’ side have the batting depth to compete with one of the best on the earth, uncertainty stays with the ball after seeing India rack up big runs at Headingley (471 and 364) and Edgbaston (587 and 427 for six declared).
WATCH THE CRICKET PAPER PODCAST HERE
Strauss was the last England captain to win the urn Down Under but hopes Stokes can pick up the baton this winter.
“I don’t think Ben needs to fret about where he sits within the pantheon of England cricketers, he’s already done so many extraordinary things as a player and a captain,” he said.
“But when you must win in Australia the primary stuff you need are momentum, confidence and a really stable team. These Tests against India will determine the mood within the camp heading to Australia.
“It’s essential to have an entire team who can win in all competitions and the bowling has been exposed on some very flat tracks in good weather thus far this season. That will likely be one query mark he’s still scratching his head around…how can we take 20 wickets?
“They’ve sharpened up one or two elements overall and their batting may be very dangerous. They grab the bull by the horns and have quite a lot of batters who can hurt you but there are familiar concerns and issues across the bowling.”
Red for Ruth
Friday marks the seventh ‘Red for Ruth’ event at the house of cricket, in honour of Strauss’ late wife, who died of non-smoking lung cancer in 2018.
The inspiration has attracted donations of over £4million through the years, supporting greater than 5,000 families facing an incurable cancer diagnosis and offering training to greater than 1,300 healthcare professionals. A brand new school education programme can also be being launched, featuring a Minecraft educational game.
“I’m very proud to see what the inspiration has done over the past six years and we couldn’t have done it without the support of the cricket community,” he said.
“It’s at all times humbling to see Lord’s resplendent in red, it’s an incredible showcase and we never take it as a right.
“The impact we’ve made previously six years is extraordinary, and an enormous a part of it’s all the way down to the generosity of the cricketing community and the general public. With the faculties programme now in place, we’re ensuring that families feel supported not only at home or in healthcare settings, but in schools too.”
For exclusive stories and all of the detailed cricket news you would like, subscribe to The Cricket Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.