England vs Sri Lanka: ‘Don’t make Coldplay comparison, aim for winning mentality’

We won’t have long to find out. The first Test in Pakistan begins in less than a month. England are planning to name a squad by the end of the week, once confusion over the venues is sorted.

It largely picks itself. Dan Lawrence has probably played himself out of the squad, especially with Jordan Cox able to act as back-up batter and keeper. Jack Leach should return as second spinner. The pace-bowling ranks are depleted, so it might be a case of those still standing getting a place on the plane. There will be a decision to make on Chris Woakes, attack-leader at home, but with a poor record abroad.

England are judged by their success in the biggest series against India and Australia, neither of whom they have beaten since 2018. They play both sides back-to-back across 2025 and into 2026. Until then, we won’t really know how good England are.

Beforehand they have seven Tests against Pakistan, New Zealand and Zimbabwe to find the ruthlessness that separates the very good teams from the great ones.

To return to Root’s Coldplay reference, Chris Martin – a big cricket fan – belts out these lines on Viva La Vida: “One minute, I held the key, next the walls were closed on me, and I discovered that my castles stand, upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand.”

England hold the key to their own success, but this loss shows the foundations can be shaky. They have less than a year to make them rock-solid for the Bazball reckoning.