England roll the dice again as they search for answers against India
England are set to try yet another combination at the top of the order as they scramble for a solution to their batting woes
As any England cricket fan would attest, when it rains, it pours - often literally.
But as they prepare for the third Test against India this week, the problems really are mounting up for Joe Root's side.
Paramount among them is the score - one down with three to play- after they somehow contrived to turn a winning position into a losing one last time out at Lord's to go behind in the five-match series.
The manner of the collapse - from just two wickets to take of the Indian second innings on the final morning to a 151-run defeat - will still be hurting all those involved 10 days ago as they head to Headingley.
They do so without Mark Wood, however, with the quick joining the lengthening bowling ranks on the treatment table.
Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes are all already long-term absentees and Wood, one of the few senior options still available to Root and coach Chris Silverwood and excellent in the second Test, now also missing is an issue they could do without.
The solution to the continued struggles at the top and middle of England's fragile batting lineup is, for now at least, a recall for Dawid Malan as the brains trust again opt to roll the dice on a player seemingly not in their thinking just a few short weeks ago.
He joins Haseeb Hameed - set to open in Leeds - and Moeen Ali as players drafted into the starting eleven after initially missing out on selection altogether as selectors scramble for a combination capable of consistently putting competitive scores on the board.
That said, the 33-year-old does bring with him some much-needed experience to a batting order sorely needing something other than the skipper to rely on.
He boasts an Ashes century in Australia and 199 on his only first-class outing of the season for Yorkshire, but an average of just 27.84 in 15 Tests hints he might not be the cure-all England are so desperate for him to be either.
Root, though, is bullish about the latest reshuffle.
"I think Dawid will offer us a lot of experience in that top three. He has played a huge amount of international cricket now," Root said ahead Wednesday's first day.
"He has dealt with pressure situations, he has played in a massive series in Australia and been our leading run scorer out there, so we know that he is capable of big things in Test match cricket.
"You can look back at a number of things, like selection, and with hindsight everything can look very different. But he is a fine player who has had to deal with a number of different pressures throughout his career and he has come through swimmingly."
Wood's absence will be keenly felt after taking five wickets in the match at Lord's with Craig Overton the likeliest to replace him after spending much of the summer travelling and training with the squad
The Durham man's pace - Wood consistently clocked in excess of 90mph last time out - in particular will be missed after several rapid spells ruffled India, unless the similarly swift Saqib Mahmoud, also called up for this Test, gets the nod.
"The news is frustrating for Mark and for us as a side, I thought he bowled really well at Lord's," Root added.
"He gives us a real point of difference, added pace, and seems to be in real good fettle at the moment. We just have to deal with and it will provide an opportunity for someone else to step-up."
One thing the captain doesn't have to worry about at least is his own form.
Root appears back to his very best in 2021 with five hundreds already and scores of 109, 64, 180 not out and 33 in the two Tests so far appearing to back that assertion up.
The clash at Lord's was a fiery one with both sides exchanging plenty of verbals, but Root insists it's all part of the game and regardless of the difficulties his side are currently going through he will continue to enjoy himself.
"When you're out there in the middle and it does get a bit heated, it doesn't matter where you are - home or away - it's a passage of play you have manage well and they managed it better than us on that occasion," he added.
"We have got to be genuine to ourselves, genuine to how we are as individuals and how we are collectively and be as good as we can be in the way we go about things. Virat and his team will play the way they play.
"I'm playing for England and I'm playing Test cricket. It's quite easy to stay positive in that respect, I'm living my boyhood dream.
"I'm constantly trying to remind myself of that as well, when we are having the odd tough day or things aren't always going our way. When I was 10 years old I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do.
"Living that boyhood dream is one way you can keep motivating yourself to front up to the next challenge and the next day. I'm a cricket tragic at heart. I love the game, I love batting. Every opportunity to do that I'll try and take."
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