Better the Devil You Know?

When I first started watching Test cricket, it was drilled into me by commentators and players need time to settle when making their debut, particularly batsmen. It was best summarised by an ex-player (I cannot remember who) who said that when you play elite club cricket, there will be a bad ball every couple of overs. When stepping up into county cricket, there would be a bad ball every four overs. But in Test matches, there would be no bad balls. Instead, as a batsman, you had to change your perspective on what was actually a bad ball.

This meant that even if a player struggled on debut, that they shouldn't be judged for it. Players did often struggle. But a quick look at the debuts of the current England test squad shows that a different dynamic is developing:-

Alistair Cook - 60 & 104*
Jonny Bairstow - 16 & 0*
Ian Bell - 70
Nick Compton - 9 & 37
Kevin Pietersen - 57 & 64*
Matt Prior - 126* & 21
Joe Root - 73 & 20*
Jonathan Trott - 41 & 119

As a group, they average 81.70 on debut compared to 47.74 for their overall Test career. Mid-summer, with Strauss in the team (who scored nearly 200 runs on debut), that figure was even higher. What has caused this success on debut for so many of the England batsmen (for the bowlers, it is a similar story, although not quite as pronounced. It is also easier for bowlers to debut - a nervous opening spell is not the end of their game whilst a nervous shot from a batsman could well be)

There are many factors at play. Half of the above players (Bairstow, Pietersen, Prior and Trott) had made their international debuts in other formats, and with the exception of Trott had at least had some success. The England Lions programme is immensely successful (even if the Australian A team is thumping them currently), and most of the players had experience of that. England now select better players, with more weight since Duncan Fletcher's appointment given to personality and less to pure runs. But for me the biggest factor is a lot of international coaches favourite weapon - video analysis.

Put yourself in Fletcher's shoes before the 4th test in India when Joe Root made his debut. Fletcher, and his bowlers, decide to come up with new plans for England's batsman. They start with Kevin Pietersen. I can say with almost pure certainty that every single innings KP has played at international level will have been shown on some form of live television. Watch him play any Test bowler he has faced, on any Test ground he has played at. Want to watch him play the sweep one hundred times? The drive? The pull? A request to the analysts section of the team support and it should be done.

But whilst coverage of international cricket has increased, coverage of domestic cricket has almost ceased to exist. If India want footage of Joe Root in that situation, particularly in red-ball cricket, then they will have to search long and hard to find it. The absence of footage makes a player harder to plan for, harder to analyse strengths and weaknesses. With the added benefit of the better preparation mentioned above, there has never been a better time to make your debut in Test cricket.

This could well have a significant impact on the Ashes. England have the benefit of home conditions, the more settled side and less injury concerns. A lot has been made of how few of the potential touring party, particularly batsmen, have played in England before. But this may benefit Australia, with the likes of Cowan, Warner, Maxwell, Wade, Cummins, Pattinson and Starc all partially hidden from England. 

There may of course be the perfect storm for England. Enough footage to plan and the Aussies inexperienced enough to deal with English conditions. But if the Australians adapt quicker then the retirements of Katich, Ponting and Hussey may not seem the brilliant news it was in the winter.