Improved Dom Sibley's fifty in run chase is welcome, but he will face far sterner tests in...

[ASFN Admin]

Every Dom has his day, and two of them did in Galle. Dom Bess took four prime wickets, and Dom Sibley stayed to knock off the target of 164, after scoring six runs in his three previous Test innings – “a bit of a stinker” as he said – in Sri Lanka. Sibley’s unbeaten 56 therefore made another example of how England under Chris Silverwood’s coaching furnish players with the caring environment in which they can grow, especially if they pick the brains of the experts on offer. During the two-Test series Sibley transformed himself from a French cricketer, bringing his bat across the line and stabbing at the ball, to a far more polished performer who hung on at the mini-crisis point of 89 for four wickets and, by holding up his end, allowed Jos Buttler to finish off Sri Lanka with finesse. Jacques Kallis, the batting consultant only contracted for the Sri Lankan leg of England’s tour, has thus made a powerful case for a full-time appointment. Nothing too radical by Kallis, more a return to basic principles and smoothing of rough edges, and there was Sibley seeing England home to a 2-0 victory and booking his place for at least the first couple of Tests in India Nick Hoult's verdict: England make perfect start to mammoth year with clean sweep for Joe Root It has to be said though that England, and especially Sibley, were hugely helped by the worst conceivable Test captaincy. Joe Root now has the marvellous record of having won all five of his Tests in charge in Asia, and Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal has been his ally – instead of adversary – every time. Sibley’s stance, set-up and modus operandi are based on the leg-side push – and with every run precious, what did Chandimal do but post one fielder on the legside in front of square-leg? Bring together all the world’s cricket data analysts, pick their brains, and it would be impossible to come up with field-placings more helpful – not inimical – to Sibley. And Chandimal did exactly the same the last time England toured and won 3-0. He would instantly relieve any pressure on the batsman by posting a long-on, not a mid-on. These runs were donations. If he runs a website, it must be for singles, for free.

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