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James Anderson, Jofra Archer and Dom Bess set to battle it out for two spots in first Pakistan Test

England bowlers James Anderson and Jofra Archer leave the field during Day Three of the First Test match between England and South Africa at SuperSport Park on December 28, 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa.  - GETTY IMAGES
England bowlers James Anderson and Jofra Archer leave the field during Day Three of the First Test match between England and South Africa at SuperSport Park on December 28, 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa. - GETTY IMAGES

One of England quicks James Anderson or Jofra Archer, or off spinner Dom Bess, face missing out on England’s team for the first Test against Pakistan. The brilliant form of Chris Woakes and Stuart Broad against the West Indies means that, with Ben Stokes having returned to bowling in the nets again, one of the bowling trio risk being dropped.

England have identified the need to build a varied attack as a priority as they seek to build a team capable of competing in India this winter and who can regain the Ashes in Australia in 2021/22. But they are also committed to picking their strongest possible side and rectify a miserable run of losing the first Test in eight of their previous 10 series.

England will assess Stokes’s fitness to bowl - he is not a doubt to play - before deciding on the balance of their attack. On Monday Stokes bowled a few overs in the nets at Emirates Old Trafford, and is making progress in his recovery from a stiff quad muscle.

If Stokes is fully fit, as England are increasingly hopeful of, England could field a five-man attack while strengthening their batting. This would mean a recall for Zak Crawley at number three and leave Chris Silverwood and Joe Root effectively facing omitting one of Anderson, Archer or Bess.

All three have strong claims for selection. Though neither pace bowler was at their best against the West Indies, Anderson is at his home ground and would test Pakistan’s techniques to the full while Archer, with his extra pace, offers an essential point of difference. Though Bess enjoyed a modest series against the West Indies, England are also keen to allow him the opportunity to establish himself in Test cricket.

The hot, dry conditions expected in Manchester - there are intermittent showers forecast early on the first day but the temperature is expected to reach 27 degree Celsius by Friday - will inform England’s thinking. Such conditions would appear to favour Bess - though he did not bowl a ball in England’s emphatic victory in the last Test, averaging an unspectacular 41 with the ball in the series.

West Indies' Roston Chase (not pictured) is run out by England's Dom Bess (centre) during day five of the Third Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. - PA
West Indies' Roston Chase (not pictured) is run out by England's Dom Bess (centre) during day five of the Third Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. - PA

Hot weather could also play into Archer’s hands, with his extra pace and bounce offering England hostility and variety in better batting conditions. Anderson took five wickets at an average of 30 in his two Tests against the West Indies, though he conceded only 2.3 runs an over and maintained immaculate control.

Archer was more expensive, taking four wickets at 50 apiece, but bowled brilliantly on the final day of England’s defeat at the Ageas Bowl. While he only took one wickets in the third Test, when he returned to the side after breaching bio-secure protocols, Archer’s bounce was a persistent threat.

Woakes said that fierce competition between the pace group - Sam Curran and Mark Wood are also in the 14-man squad and both have a strong chance of playing at least one more Test this summer - is driving the players on.

“Competition for bowling spots is hard,” he said. “It makes practice intense, batters will certainly speak volumes for that.”

After his fine series against the West Indies, Woakes now has the best home record of any England quick bowler today - with 81 wickets at an average of just 22 apiece.

“I think we saw in that last series, every player put their hand up at some points, particularly with the ball. Obviously, I hope I’ve done enough to keep my spot this week. We’ll see what the coach and captain decide.

“Competition is high at the minute, we’ve got still two of England’s greats charging in and taking wickets every time they play and we’ve got exciting fast bowlers as well. It’s not an easy team to be cemented in. My record in England is brilliant, I’m obviously pleased with that, I want to keep getting better, improving myself.

“Hopefully it’s enough to keep me in the team for this week, but selection is not an easy thing and I’m in a position where I’ve done really well, and if I’m selected then great, but if not I’ll get myself ready for whenever the next game is.”

Woakes said that England were unlikely to play a four-man pace attack in addition to a fit Stokes. “In the last Test match we played four quicks because Ben couldn't bowl. That obviously changes if Ben can bowl. So that's where I suppose the tricky decision comes in.”

England’s players returned to the bio-secure bubble at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday, and were tested for Covid-19 that day. When they returned home after the West Indies series, players were “told to be sensible,” Woakes said. “It was advised really that we should try and be as sensible as possible if we were to go into an area where there were more public people and people around. We were told to social distance, told to use face masks. Just use common sense, really.”

While England have been notoriously slow starters in Test series, Woakes believes that England will benefit from having played against the West Indies already this summer.

“We certainly felt at the beginning of the West Indies series that we were a little underprepared from a match point of view. You do as much as you can in the nets but nothing really gives you that time in the middle and that match sharpness.”

England will use Jonathan Trott, who played 52 Tests for England, as a batting consultant throughout the series. Warwickshire bowling coach Graeme Welch will work as a pace bowling consultant, while Warwickshire’s Jeetan Patel will be spin bowling consultant for the second and third Tests.

Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said that how well Pakistan’s batsmen played England’s quicks would be crucial in determining the series.

“Anderson and Stuart Broad are experienced campaigners and we know how good they are, especially in English conditions with the Duke ball,” he said.

“It's always tough with the Duke ball in England where the ball moves around off the seam and also in the air. But this is where you can really fight and our batting looked in great shape in the last two series.”