Do England have a problem closing out series’?

Pakistan have completed a series win over England that few saw coming.

Particularly after a first Test demolition job at the hand of Joe Root and Harry Brook which reduced them to a humiliating and exhausting defeat in Multan where the visitors won by an innings and 47 runs piling on 823 runs in one innings against their hosts.

Pakistan’s response was, as expected, extreme.

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah were all dropped on the advice of a new selection committee, the previous pitch was earmarked to be played on again at Multan and Head Coach, Jason Gillespie, having to clarify his role to journalists.

Usually, this kind of upheaval completely destabilises a side but somehow it seemed to galvanise the remaining players into a series win.

Take nothing away from Pakistan, their first Test series at home since 2021 was built on a style of cricket that relied more heavily on spin from the start of the Test rather than waiting on pitches to break up.

Noman Ali and Sajid Khan took 39 of the 40 English wickets to fall in the final two Tests - figures that England themselves could not replicate despite their best attempts.

There is however a nagging suspicion that this was a series that England lost rather than Pakistan having won.

Joe Root is the shining light of consistency in a top order that has shown signs of weakness at times.

This is now the second series in which England have finished a series poorly after Sri Lanka snatched a consolidatory win at The Oval to finish the summer.

Three results perhaps do not mark a trend so much as notable anomalies in England’s otherwise fantastic turnaround in results under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. 

The question is - Do England have a problem closing out series’?

England are a vibes team, an aggressive side who always intend to play in the same positive fashion whether they are ahead or behind in a game. Whilst that means they never feel like they will lose - it doesn’t exclude them from having lapses in judgement or lacking a clinical edge.

These results have gone beyond costing a series but have ruled England out of a chance to play in the World Test Championship final - the final one in England before moving away for some years to new venues.

There is no doubt that England’s style of play has vastly improved in recent years but cracks inevitably will always begin to show.

With a home series against India next summer and an Ashes the following winter, there is a real need to ensure that England’s DNA and structure is watertight as possible.

From a mentality perspective, the English summer just gone was considered to be a walkover before it had begun a ‘fill-your-boots’ few months where players could relax in the comfort that they could work on their own game as the result was inevitable. That proved not to be the case with Sri Lanka picking up the final game of the summer for their own.

Ollie Pope has gone from moments of sublime form to significant lulls.

Now questions are being asked of, mostly, the batting line up. Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley are two players grappling with inconsistency but Ben Stokes has thoroughly endorsed them both in keeping with his unwavering support of his side. This support clearly gives great confidence to his side to play uninhibited and natural innings that best compliment the side but this does feel as though it could be a moment to stick or twist.

On the upcoming tour of New Zealand, Jordan Cox is to debut in place of the absent Jamie Smith who will not tour as he awaits the birth of his first child. Should Cox excel, there could be a headache for selectors as to who drops out.

Jacob Bethell is also touring with England in New Zealand and early signs in the white-ball set up suggest that he has what it takes.

Perhaps what the side needs is a shake up of their XI to regain some level of ruthlessness in the set up. If their confidence in selection is leading to inconsistency, there needs to be the reminder that losses and losses in form do have implications.

The phrase ‘Having the loss they had to have’ springs to mind and these results may spur them on to correct any flaws that have snuck in in preparation for a massive 2025.

A tour to New Zealand follows, fresh off their remarkable series win in India and an early sign to show whether anything has changed in England’s process.