Close to 1,700 runs were scored on a flat Edgbaston wicket in the second Test in Birmingham, but only 19 of those came from the bat of England opener Zak Crawley, whose struggles at the highest level continued.

Runs were there for the taking on a surface where the new ball was the only threat, but Crawley, unable to curtail his strokemaking, perished early twice attempting extravagant strokes outside the off-stump. He is now averaging 31.11 at the Test level, and has the lowest average for any opener to have scored 2,500 or more runs at the Test level.

Crawley, on the back of the second Test, was criticised heavily by former England captain Sir Geoff Boycott, who claimed that the 27-year-old is not capable of changing or getting better.

“I don’t think he can change or get better. Batting is in the head, and the brain dictates how you approach batting: what shots you attempt, what balls you leave. His faults in technique and thinking are ingrained,” Boycott wrote in his column for Telegraph Sport.

“A leopard doesn’t change its spots, or maybe Zak does not want to change. He should be approaching his best years, but in 56 Tests, he has learned nothing. One sparkling innings and numerous failures, with an average of 31, is not good enough.”

Boycott was also critical of England’s decision to persist with 36-year-old Chris Woakes, who he believes is ‘past his sell-by date’. Woakes, so far in this series, has taken 3 wickets at an average of 96.66.

“It is counterproductive to keep the same guys in the team when they are past their sell-by date or not doing enough.

“Look at Chris Woakes. His pace is dropping, as you would expect as a seamer gets older. He has never been a wicket-taker abroad, where his record is poor. He is good – or has been good – on English pitches, and his batting has been handy at times as a safety valve when others have failed. 

“His job should not be to shore up bad batting. Batsmen are there to score ru, ns and bowlers need to take wickets.

Woakes has been a good cricketer but not a master craftsman like James Anderson, who took buckets full of wickets home and away consistently. Woakes also has a poor record in Australia that is highly unlikely to change at the age of 36.”

The second Test at Lord’s starts from July 10, and England are expected to make a host of changes.