The best thing to happen to the ongoing series is that England’s victory at Old Trafford means that both teams go into the final Test starting on July 24 all square and that can only be good for the game which has resumed on the international stage after a long gap. West Indies’ win in the first Test was well merited and so was England’s, there is obviously little to choose between the teams, and predictably interest in the decider will be very high. Also, there has been much good cricket seen in the two Tests and it certainly does not look like a contest between the No 4 ranked side and the No 8 ranked side.
There is no doubting however that England have tremendous depth and this was underlined at Old Trafford. They dropped Joe Denly, rested James Anderson and Mark Wood, lost the services of Jofra Archer due to a breach in security protocol, and yet prevailed. Of course, they were boosted by the return of Joe Root and Stuart Broad but the depth in their bowling, in particular, is to be envied. They have half a dozen pacemen vying for spots in the playing eleven and that is an encouraging thought. And in Dom Bess, they have unearthed a classical off-spinner in the Graeme Swann mold who bids to go far.
In the ultimate analysis however Ben Stokes could well be the difference between the two sides. Their talismatic cricketer is at the peak of his powers and is clearly the best all-rounder since Ian Botham putting Andrew Flintoff in the shade. Is there anything this super energetic cricketer cannot do? He can bat, bowl, and field in a dynamic fashion and is clearly an awe-inspiring figure. It boggles the mind as to what the 29-year-old could still achieve.
One must give credit to the West Indies for taking the series to the decider. Few would have given the visitors any chance of doing so given the fact that they last won a series in England in 1988. But their performance has shown that their series triumph in the Caribbean against the same opponents last year was not a fluke. Under Jason Holder who in his own unobtrusive manner has proved to be an inspiring leader, they have made significant advances and the bowling, in particular, is to be commended. A little more consistency in the batting and they could give England a run for their money in the decider at the same venue.