England selection decision looming large before Ashes

The team’s dramatic 2-2 draw with India was their last taste of Test cricket before the Ashes begins in Perth, and there’s little time left to win a squad place

- Lawrence Ostlere

On a quiet autumn afternoon at Lord’s in October, captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum will meet national selector Luke Wright and ECB director Rob Key to pick England’s Ashes squad.

Wright used to be the one who would make the phone calls, delivering the good news and the painful blows, but McCullum has since taken on that responsibility, seeing it as his duty to speak personally with each player. Wright will often follow up with a call to those closest to the cut to explain the decision in more detail and discuss a path for their return.

Wright will have spent the summer receiving briefings from scouts across county cricket and beyond, while analysts will have drilled down through deep data wells to model whose game will suit the Australian summer. The reality, however, is that McCullum is a man who trusts his gut over spreadsheets and algorithms, and his squad is mostly set.

There is little chance to alter minds now, with no more Tests between Monday's dramatic finale at The Oval and the first ball in Perth in November. England already have their top seven set in stone, despite the struggles of Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley. The seam attack starts to pick itself if fitness allows, with Mark Wood and Jofra Archer requiring cryogenic preservation over the autumn in time to thaw in the Australian sun.

What did England learn from this compelling series with India? Plenty, but the Ashes is a different game. England will face a very different bowling attack in contrasting conditions, on surfaces that offer bounce with the Kookaburra ball in hand.