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When Ollie Pope learned he was set to captain England this week, he playfully asked Ben Stokes if he could occupy the captain's suite at the team hotel. Stokes said no.
Pope likely understood he was in a tough spot. This final Test against India at The Oval marks his fifth time stepping in as captain, so he was also cognizant of the primary difficulty faced by anyone taking over for Stokes - the absence of Stokes the all-rounder.
This has been an exhausting series, further complicated by the tight schedule. Both teams have seen their players struggle with injuries.
England has bowled significantly more overs than India in the series, a burden intensified by the loss of Stokes. India has also dealt with its share of injury setbacks, losing Rishabh Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy, while Jasprit Bumrah has participated in just three Tests.
We are now in the concluding phase. England has shown recent success in run chases, but successfully chasing 374 runs on this Oval pitch would be exceptional.
Beginning day four at 50-0 looked promising, but Zak Crawley’s dismissal on the final ball of day three swung the favor further towards India, who could end the series with a 2-2 draw.
If that happens, they will have triumphed in the two Tests that Bumrah missed. They have been more efficient with their resources compared to England.
The home team can point to their limited number of fast bowlers. Mark Wood and Olly Stone have been absent throughout the entirety of the Test summer, while younger replacements like Josh Hull and Sonny Baker have experienced inconsistent seasons.
Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer faced challenges during the fourth Test at Old Trafford. In retrospect, it might have been better to rest one of them for the match at The Oval. England was aiming for a victory that would have clinched the series but fell short. Had they managed to catch Ravindra Jadeja on the last day, the outcome might have been different. Missed catches have repeatedly emerged as a key issue.
Among all the fast bowlers England could have selected to play all five Tests against India, the responsibility fell to Chris Woakes, the oldest player in the squad. While it would have been difficult to predict Woakes' shoulder injury, there is also a question about whether Brendon McCullum’s insistence on pursuing every lost ball to the boundary should apply to an exhausted 36-year-old fast bowler.
This left Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and Jamie Overton to carry the load. None of the three backed down from their duties, particularly showing great spirit on Saturday.
Atkinson’s 48.4 overs in the match and Tongue’s 46 represent their highest totals in first-class cricket, while Overton’s 38 is his most in three years.
Atkinson seemed to return to the form that made him a sensation in Test cricket last year. His performance dispelled any concerns about his lack of play in the previous two months and suggests he might have been fit enough to play at Old Trafford. He should take the new ball in the first Ashes Test in Perth.
Tongue's game was quite unusual. Graham Gooch once remarked that playing New Zealand with the legendary Richard Hadlee was akin to "facing World XI at one end and Ilford 2nd XI at the other." In the first innings at The Oval, Tongue exemplified this disparity as one of the bowlers. He improved in the second innings and earned his five-wicket haul, finishing as England’s top wicket-taker in the series, despite participating in only three Tests.
Atkinson and Tongue combined for a total of 16 wickets in the fifth Test. Overton had the misfortune of having three catches dropped, but did little to challenge the pre-match view that he was an unusual selection.
Although he gave everything he had, England didn’t require his hit-the-deck approach in conditions that called for a fuller length. His recent form—only two first-class wickets in four matches over nearly two years—didn't indicate that he came in with strong credentials.
Throughout this summer, Overton has moved ahead of Matthew Potts and Sam Cook in the selection hierarchy, though the comparisons are a bit unfair due to their differing skill sets. One can't help but wonder how Potts and Cook would have performed in this situation. England only assessed the pitch the day before the match, and by that time, they were already dealing with the consequences of Stokes' injury.
Potts holds a central contract. He played Tests against Pakistan in Multan and New Zealand in Hamilton over the winter but then seemed to disappear. There are murmurs that England has concluded he lacks the speed to be an aggressive bowler and doesn’t possess the skills to be effective with the new ball.
Cook, who has been very successful in county cricket, had a disappointing Test debut against Zimbabwe in May, where he took only one wicket in 31 overs. If that was his sole opportunity to shine, he picked an unfortunate moment to underperform. It would be unfair if England judged him solely on that performance.
If England truly has cooled on Potts and Cook, who else could they consider? Ollie Robinson is ruled out due to being blacklisted and injured. Calling Dan Worrall would have triggered a strong reaction in Australia. A 43-year-old retired James Anderson? Maybe Overton was indeed the best option among limited choices.
The management of resources serves as a crucial lesson for the forthcoming Ashes series in November, which promises to be just as demanding as the current one.
England must ensure their bowlers reach Perth and then support them throughout their tour of Australia. Woakes is uncertain to be available, Stokes is fighting to regain fitness, and Wood has experienced a setback in his recovery from knee surgery. England will be hoping that Archer, Carse, Atkinson, and Tongue can navigate the next three months of white-ball cricket - both domestically and in New Zealand in October - without injury.
Once they arrive in Australia, England will need to balance the ambition for a strong start with the necessity of maintaining endurance. The last three Tests are scheduled consecutively.
This week has revealed other indicators for the Ashes. Aside from Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, England's batsmen faced difficulties with the movement they can expect in Australia.
Joe Root was shaken by comments from Prasidh Krishna but will likely have to contend with harsher words from the Australians. David Warner aimed barbs at his former teammates on Saturday, echoing remarks from Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon.
England's chances of success in Australia hinge on their ability to take catches, making the six dropped in the second innings of the fifth Test a significant concern. One drop, by substitute fielder Liam Dawson, could jeopardize his prospects of being selected as the second spinner. Jamie Smith appeared fatigued behind the stumps after his first five-Test series as a keeper, and another demanding series in the Australian heat lies ahead.
In the meantime, England's exceptional run-chasers are faced with the challenge of achieving their most remarkable chase yet.
They will enter the Australian series either buoyed by a remarkable victory or burdened by the regret of a missed opportunity for a series win.
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