Foakes has said he wants to enjoy his time with the team rather than giving his attention to the prospect of his place in the team. It’s been some good time for him as England wicketkeeper, ramping on with cruising English side and conquering continent by continent.
The top order is irreplaceable at the moment with both Harry Brook and Ben Duckett having best time at the crease. There is no place in middle order but it will be unlikely that Jonny Bairstow will not play despite being fully fit.
The right handed aggressor was having a phenomenal summer before he injured his leg in a freaky golf incident. Then he missed the T20 World Cup and all the subsequent test tours afterwards.
Since Brendon McCullum has taken over the new job and Ben Stokes has started to lead the team, England has outclassed their opponents in 9 out of 10 outings. They are yet to lose or draw a series under the captaincy of Ben Stokes.
This is a positive signs but still a headache on whom to choose for glove work. Ben Foakes has been doing this job pretty well and has played the linking role better lower order and middle order, solidifying partnerships while England bats deep.
It will be a harsh decision to leave him out just because an established name is making a return. The problems for England doesn’t stop there.
With Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes all breeding fit to set feature in the team, it will be a great dilemma for coach and captain in upcoming series. The experience of Stuart Broad and James Anderson is will useful and bowling long spells might not be same for them as was 6 years ago.
While speaking after the second test match, Foakes said, “Naturally you’re going to think about things but at the stage I’m at there’s no point stressing over it.”
‘I’m having some good form in my career and I’m just trying to enjoy that rather than stressing about what else might happen.
”My England journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster from day one and I’ve had a lot of times out of the team where I’ve thought, “How do I get back in?” but I guess thinking about those things doesn’t help my game at all.”
In the second innings of first test at Mount Maunganui, Foakes made a well deserved half century, he innings was unlike of his teammates who went hard from ball one. Foakes bats with a touch of sensibility and class which is prestige of test cricket.
“I don’t think it’s smart for me to go and try to be Ben Stokes or Harry Brook. I’m not, as you’d say, “Bazball”,’ he said. ‘I can’t do what a lot of these guys do. If I did that I’d just get out so it doesn’t make sense for me to try. It’s about staying true to myself. You do have a look up at the scoreboard at your strike-rate, you want to keep it above 50, but it’s a strength of mine to play slightly more “normal” cricket.’