England's decision to persist with Zak Crawley, the opener who has struggled against Australia, raises questions about the team's thinking. The 30.96 average - the lowest of any England opener in 60 Tests - is a stark reality that Crawley must now correct. A sharp downturn in his record against high pace has brought concerns to the forefront.
The reasoning behind Crawley's continued selection stems from his performance with Ben Duckett since Duckett's comeback in Pakistan last year. The pair have scored more runs, put on more fifty stands, and hundred partnerships than any other opening duo in that period. Crawley also boasts a good record against Australia, averaging 43.06 at the start of this series.
However, England's faith in Crawley is not without its flaws. His preference for speed was once a strength but now appears to be a weakness. The sharp downturn in his record against high pace has led to four dismissals in eight innings against Starc, Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
While Crawley averages 55.5 with the shot at home, he struggles in Australia at just 8.25 runs per dismissal. His strength - driving - is also a liability on Australian pitches that seam more. This trend could be costly for England if not addressed soon.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell recently commented that Crawley would make an excellent opening batsman and should be given time to correct his form. Sir James Anderson also highlighted the importance of shifting Crawley's mindset, particularly after scoring 189 in a memorable innings at Old Trafford last year.
England will continue to back Crawley despite these challenges. A change now might seem erratic compared to dropping him or introducing an untested opening pair. As such, it remains to be seen whether England's thinking is flawed or if there is more to Crawley than his recent struggles suggest.
The reasoning behind Crawley's continued selection stems from his performance with Ben Duckett since Duckett's comeback in Pakistan last year. The pair have scored more runs, put on more fifty stands, and hundred partnerships than any other opening duo in that period. Crawley also boasts a good record against Australia, averaging 43.06 at the start of this series.
However, England's faith in Crawley is not without its flaws. His preference for speed was once a strength but now appears to be a weakness. The sharp downturn in his record against high pace has led to four dismissals in eight innings against Starc, Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
While Crawley averages 55.5 with the shot at home, he struggles in Australia at just 8.25 runs per dismissal. His strength - driving - is also a liability on Australian pitches that seam more. This trend could be costly for England if not addressed soon.
Former Australia captain Ian Chappell recently commented that Crawley would make an excellent opening batsman and should be given time to correct his form. Sir James Anderson also highlighted the importance of shifting Crawley's mindset, particularly after scoring 189 in a memorable innings at Old Trafford last year.
England will continue to back Crawley despite these challenges. A change now might seem erratic compared to dropping him or introducing an untested opening pair. As such, it remains to be seen whether England's thinking is flawed or if there is more to Crawley than his recent struggles suggest.
... I mean, 30.96 average against Australia? That's a bit dodgy, even for an Aussie batsman. At home he's doing alright, but the Aussies are just so quick and tricky. And don't get me wrong, his partnership with Ben Duckett is decent, but that's not exactly setting the world on fire either 
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. I mean, Ian Chappell said he'd make a great opener, but that was before... I guess. But seriously, it's like England's just trying to stick with him no matter what 
. Maybe they should give him some more time to sort himself out or try a different opener? I don't know, mate, it's all a bit puzzling 
. His form against Aussie bowlers is atrocious, and you can't just ignore that. It's like, I get it, he's been good with Ben Duckett, but that's not exactly the same as being great on your own. And his weakness against speed is a major concern - how are they gonna compete with those guys if Crawley's got no game plan? 
. 8.25 runs per dismissal in Australia? That's some serious work! 
. Still, I guess it's England's call, and if they think he can do it, who am I to argue? Maybe Ian Chappell knows something we don't 
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He had some ups and downs, but he always managed to come out on top. Crawley's got some good stats with Duckett by his side, but let's be real, they're not exactly setting the world ablaze. And have you seen how poorly he's doing against those Aussie fast bowlers? It's like he's got a Ph.D in missing the ball! 
. But against australia, he's just not getting the job done 
but yeah, changing mindsets can make all the difference 
lets see if crawley can bounce back from these tough aussie pitches 
. He used to be a threat with his ability to drive, but now it's like he's struggling to even get out of bed when facing high pace bowlers 
. The stats are stark, 8.25 runs per dismissal is not exactly heartening.
. They think he's still got it, and with Ben Duckett by his side, maybe he can get back to form 
. Ian Chappell makes some good points about giving him more time to correct his issues.
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His form against high pace has gone downhill and it's starting to affect England big time 
. But then again, he does have a good record with Ben Duckett, so maybe that's worth sticking with? 
Mind blown! 
those aussie bowlers are on another level. 55.5 at home is still pretty underwhelming tbh and 8.25 in australia is like a death wish lol. gotta feel for crawley though, been here before with ben duckett 
their partnership is fire but that's not gonna save crawley from his demons 
but that one series in aus 
still hurts. maybe instead of changing his mindset, they should just give him more time to work it out? like, Ian Chappell said he'd make an awesome opener 
he's got some solid stats with duckett and was doin alright against australia before this series but yeah, his weakness against high pace is super concerning 
️ maybe they're thinkin that if they can get him more settled, he'll figure out how to handle the aussie quicks...and let's be real, 55.5 average at home ain't too shabby either 
And those pitches in Australia just don't seem to suit him, do they? I mean, he's averaging 8.25 runs per dismissal... that's just not good enough 
But at the same time, I get why they're being cautious... it's not like they can just drop him and introduce an untested opening pair 
What do you guys think? Should England stick with Crawley or make a change? 
. And what's up with his form against high pace? It's like he's become a completely different batsman 
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he's def got some decent form with duckett and all that... but like, isnt 30.96 a pretty big deal? 
but on the flip side, crawley's got some solid skills, esp when he's playing at home... that 55.5 average is no joke 
so idk, maybe england just needs to have a bit more faith in him? 
he can still be an amazing opener if he adjusts his gameplan to the aussie conditions 
...but for now, it's hard not to feel like england's faith in him is a bit misplaced