You know the type. When Mufasa dies in The Lion King, Ron abandons Harry and Hermione in the Deathly Hallows, and Darth Vader defeats Obi-Wan Kenobi.
England are not there yet, but a 4-1 thrashing in India is undoubtedly the lowest point in the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum saga.
A trip to India might be a game changer for a squad. England’s defeat here in 2016 marked Alastair Cook’s final series as captain.
Only six of the XI defeated in the most recent Test in India made it to the first match of the domestic summer in 2021. That won’t be the case this time.
However, for the first time, the Stokes-McCullum axis has reached a crossroads. Coach McCullum said his club had been “exposed” in one of his most candid interviews with the media since taking over two years ago.
If the New Zealander has been so frank in public, you can bet he has been much more forthcoming with his players.
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The repercussions – England’s defeat against India
To be fair to Stokes and McCullum, this is their first series defeat, but they have also failed to win any of their previous three.
It is true that England have progressed dramatically from the squad that won only one Test in 17 before Stokes and McCullum took over, but it cannot be used as a barometer indefinitely.
Manchester City’s justification for failing to win the Premier League would not be “we used to be in the third tier”.
The doubts hovering over England are being raised right in the heart of the Stokes-McCullum period. The inevitable conclusion is a visit of Australia the following winter.
There have been 23 matches since Stokes and McCullum took over, with another 23 until the last Ashes Test in early 2026.
We’re getting close to the Bazball series finale, which will be the culmination of a real-time sports tale. The task for England is to make it similar to Ross’s interaction with Rachel in Friends or David Brent instructing Finchy to do one at the conclusion of The Office. We do not want Sherlock’s crazy finale or Line of Duty’s lackluster reveal of Buckells as the fourth man.
England’s evolution under Stokes and McCullum has always been the most intriguing aspect of the story. The summer of 2022 was thrilling, but they will not always be known for it, like a band that never outperformed their debut record.
Will England progress beyond Bairstow and Foakes?
Any critique of England’s Bazball batting in India is kind of a red herring. This was their slowest scoring series with Stokes and McCullum. The issue is that when it was bad, it was terrible.
McCullum felt England were too hesitant as the series went, but in reality, India’s brilliant spinners figured them out.
Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Ben Foakes had their thoughts confused. Their strokes on the final day of the fifth Test at Dharamsala were awful, a foolish attempt to “put pressure back on the bowler”.
Joe Root returned to form following his reverse-scoop dismissal in the third Test, scoring a wonderfully timed 84 to demonstrate what can be accomplished when a batsman believes in their defense.
England’s batting does not require and will not undergo substantial surgery. The only change from the top six that concluded this series will be Harry Brook at number five for the first Test against the West Indies in July, even though Pope needs a solid summer to secure his status as number three and vice-captain.
The judgments are made from number seven on down. Jonny Bairstow’s bat returns are dwindling. Foakes is an excellent gloveman, but he lacks the range of strokes that a number seven need while shepherding the tail.
McCullum, who has kept wickets in 52 of New Zealand’s 101 Tests, understands the importance of sticking with one keeper. It may be time to find a medium ground between Bairstow and Foakes, with Durham’s Ollie Robinson the next cab off the rank and Phil Salt an outside chance.
It was significant that McCullum would not categorically support Jack Leach as England’s number one spinner, instead claiming Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir have the potential to replace him. Much will rely on Leach’s early-season health and the number of overs Hartley and Bashir receive in the County Championship.
How long will Anderson go on?
England’s James Anderson grins as he walks off after collecting his 700th Test wicket.
In Dharamsala, James Anderson became the first pace bowler with 700 Test wickets.
Fast bowling is the component of the England squad that is most likely to alter in the later stages of the Stokes-McCullum era. James Anderson is 41, Chris Woakes 35, Mark Wood 34, and Stuart Broad has retired. Ollie Robinson, the heir-apparent, is 30 and regressing. Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Matthew Potts deserve more chances.
England faces a difficult dilemma over how to deal with Anderson. His physical condition says that there is no reason why he cannot continue, maybe even to Australia when he is 43 years old.
But it took Anderson eight Tests to capture the remaining 15 wickets on his way to 700. Half of games were played in India, although Broad grabbed 38 in his final eight Tests, Woakes 19 in three Ashes matches, and Tongue 10 in two appearances.
England must determine if Anderson is still their best choice or whether others might benefit and provide more if given the opportunity.
More broadly, England must accept that they should be favourites to win almost every series they play with the exception of those against Australia and India.
The West Indies and Sri Lanka should be swept aside throughout the summer. Next winter, they will travel to Pakistan, where they won 3-0 18 months ago, and New Zealand, whom they would have defeated 2-0 last year if the follow-on had not been enforced in Wellington.
How does England wish to be remembered?
Stokes, McCullum, and the entire England squad must consider carefully about how they want this era to be remembered. One stunning summer does not transform Test cricket. Winning does.
Without focusing on Duckett, who has been successful and is a likeable figure, he may serve as an example.
Duckett’s average as England’s opener is 43.81, which is comparable to Cook’s 44.86. Perhaps the current England squad prefers Duckett’s faster scoring, but Cook made three hundreds in Australia when England won, and did the same in India.
Cook is a knight of the realm, whilst Duckett owns a collection of bucket hats. Similar comparisons may be made between Pope, Leach, Robinson, and Zak Crawley with Ian Bell, Graeme Swann, Steven Finn, and Jonathan Trott. The following four all won the major series.
England has spent two years articulating its manifesto. We get it. We understand how they want to play, the atmosphere they like in the locker room, and how much they enjoy playing cards. Overall, we’re on board. Now they must win.
England’s credit in the bank ensures that they remain in control of what happens next. They have the luxury of scripting the following chapter.
Not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
