Zak Crawley has been the biggest question in a Bazball era that has mostly seen success. Before Stokes took captaincy, Zak Crawley had five fifties and two hundred of which one was a magnificent 267. This was in his 21 Tests before Bazball. Once Stokes came in the scoring dried up. Crawley was getting starts but he did not convert in the summer which started the new era for English Cricket. In seven Tests at home ZaK Crawley managed just one fifty and his position kept coming under the scanner outside the dressing room.

Inside the camp though, Zak Crawley’s spot was safe with the backing of the entire unit. They believed he has the capability of playing that one knock that could turn a Test, series or even a season. He proved so with his counter-attacking 122 in the first innings of a Test series in Pakistan, which led to England attacking and blazing their way to a 3-0 victory in Pakistan, allowing them to trust their ability in the subcontinent.

He did not score in the rest of the series or in the series that followed in New Zealand and could not build on his starts in the first three Tests in the Ashes. With the Ashes on the line though and knowing rain could effect the result on days four and five Zak Crawley woke up to give England their best chance of making a match and series.

He took the bowlers on, looked very good on the eye and helped England get to a 275 run lead, which would have sealed the game had rain not intervened. His knock took him to the top of the run-scoring charts in the current Ashes series highlighting the volume of starts he got, which were left unconverted. England though will be a touch gutted it didn’t come earlier. Had he played such a knock earlier, England may not have been the side praying for rain, especially after being in positions where they could have pushed for a victory in both the first and second Test.

His knock though still came at a time of immense need, giving England a lot of hope. England will hope he can continue about his aggressive ways, and maintain the fearless attitude he had in Manchester, allowing him to convert and top the run scoring charts in the current series.