ENG vs WI 3rd Test: 5 Talking Points as Stuart Broad destroys visitors in Wisden Trophy decider

England captain Joe Root with the Wisden Trophy
England captain Joe Root with the Wisden Trophy

#4 Is the Burns-Sibley opening partnership here to stay?

Burns and Sibley are unorthodox but effective
Burns and Sibley are unorthodox but effective

Openers Rory Burns and Dominic Sibley are perhaps not the most pleasing on the eye but what they lack in elegance, they make up for in grit and determination. Both batsmen were highly motivated coming into this series, with Sibley even losing 12 kg ahead of the 1st Test.

They may just have established themselves as England's best opening pair. Burns and Sibley finished second and third on the list of leading run-scorers in this series, with 234 runs at 46.8 and 226 runs at 45.2 respectively. The southpaw scored twin fifties in the 3rd Test, while Sibley made up for his duck in the 1st Test with a century in the 2nd.

Both batsmen have shown that they can get stuck in and play long innings, which is exactly what England have sorely missed since the retirement of Alastair Cook. The signs indicate that the pair is here to stay on the international stage.


#3 Ben Stokes proves why he is the #1 all-rounder in the world

Ben Stokes was England's Man of the Series
Ben Stokes was England's Man of the Series

After an embarrassing loss in the 1st Test under his captaincy, Ben Stokes put in a performance for the ages in the 2nd Test at Old Trafford, scoring over 250 runs and picking up 3 wickets.

His services weren't quite needed in the series decider, but the England all-rounder finished as the highest run-getter with 363 runs at an average of 90.75. Stokes also picked up 9 wickets and bowled his heart out whenever called upon.

West Indies' captain Jason Holder lost his place as the #1 ranked ICC Test all-rounder to Ben Stokes after the 2nd Test match, and the Durham now not only holds that position but is also ranked #3 in the ICC Test batting rankings, behind only Virat Kohli and Steve Smith.

There is no doubt at the moment as to who the best all-rounder in the world is.

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Edited by Atharva Papnoi