Test Match Breakfast takes a look at some of the biggest issues around cricket during England’s huge second Test against India at Edgbaston.
Ahead of the crunch second game of the five-match series, RICHARD GIBSON discusses the influence of Andrew Flintoff, Moeen Ali and Tim Southee, one star’s dedication to his fitness and the former England stars lighting up the county game.
Former stars show their faces
Andrew Flintoff joined up with the England team at Edgbaston on Tuesday, continuing the trend of former players being added to the coaching staff on practice days.
England Lions coach Flintoff had begun the day by telling The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show that he had no designs on the main job held by Brendon McCullum.
24 hours earlier, it had been Moeen Ali, in his home city of Birmingham, linking up with the Test squad ahead of the second match of the five-match series.
Incredibly, Shoaib Bashir met one of his predecessors as the team’s off-spinner for the first time in the process. Bashir, 21, has 61 wickets, but made his international debut once Moeen had moved on.
Andrew Flintoff was among the former players to join up with the England team on Tuesday
Moeen Ali joined the team 24 hours early – the first time he had met current first-choice spinner Shoaib Bashir
Harry Brook, meanwhile, is the current fitness king in the England camp, devoting himself over the past 12 months
The fitness king
A lot has been made of Harry Brook’s devotion to fitness over the past 12 months, with dressing room insiders saying he now leads the way in this area.
Wind the clock back 10 years and it was Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler who were at the forefront of pushing new boundaries, encouraging team-mates to break personal records for 2km runs.
It has been noticeable at Edgbaston, though, that limited-overs captain Brook comes first in all the sprint races… and doesn’t mind stealing a few yards to ensure that’s the case.
Southee on hand
Stokes, meanwhile, praised the influence of bowling consultant Tim Southee in helping England’s attack appreciate the hard yards required to take wickets when conditions are batter-friendly.
‘He grew up playing in New Zealand with the Kookaburra,’ Stokes said.
‘He knows that bowling with the new ball is where you get most success. But he’s built a career on being able to find ways of getting batters out even when it’s not in your favour.
‘He’s passed over knowledge to our bowlers which has actually been invaluable. What are we going to do as a unit to try and create some pressure to get some wickets when it’s flat?’
England’s blitzing of the Indian tail twice in Leeds last week was integral to victory being achieved on the final evening.
Captain Ben Stokes (centre) has talked up the influence of bowling consultant and former New Zealand star Tim Southee (right)
Stokes said Southee has helped when it comes to how to get wickets with an older ball
No draws here
Following the plaudits for the Headingley pitch, Edgbaston groundsman Gary Barwell took to social media on Tuesday to get his own record into the public domain.
Just one draw in the past 24 matches has contributed to the popularity of Headingley as a Test venue.
However, Barwell has not produced a stalemate surface since 2012 when West Indies were here.
Since then, England have won six and lost three, their victory tally including two over India.
Edgbaston groundsman Gary Barwell has been keen to make his record of producing results known this week
Dominic Sibley, meanwhile, is a former England player enjoying success on the county circuit
A second wind
Ex-England opener Dom Sibley’s triple hundred this week means he needs just two dozen more runs to become the first to the magic 1,000-mark in this year’s County Championship.
Sibley hit a career-best 305 against Durham at The Oval to move him to 976 with five rounds of matches remaining in the campaign.
Amongst those on his coat tails is another former Test player in Haseeb Hameed, who has 848.
