IT WON'T BE DULL IN BATTLE TO RISE OFF ROCK BOTTOM

ENGLAND have one win in 17 Tests. They have won none of their last five series. They are bottom of the World Test Championship and sixth in the ICC rankings, with their lowest rating this century.

- Will Macpherson

Their response for a series against the World Champions? A captain who has done the job just 10 times in senior cricket; a head coach who has never coached a first-class team; an unproven opening pair; a No3 who has never batted in that position; and a No5 who has not played red-ball cricket this season.

Meanwhile, the bowling absentee list is approaching epidemic status, and two of those still standing will be 40 and 36 by the end of next month.

The game's issues are not just on the field. Cricket is going through a racism reckoning, a civil war over men's domestic formats, a job-sucking pandemic and a vacuum of leadership.

For the first time in recent memory, Lord's is not the hottest ticket in town for the opening Test of the summer.

That might be down to the team's recent performances, but is more likely due to pricing at a time when spare pennies are not readily available.

There is plenty to please the doom-mongers.

And yet, for all that, it is impossible not to be excited about the prospect of this England team taking the field at Lord's tomorrow.