Ben Foakes shows Bazball is not all bish, bash, bosh

While not as naturally combative as many of his teammates, Foakes proved in the first Test against New Zealand that a more traditional anchor role still has a place in the Stokes-McCullum era

By his own admission, Ben Foakes is "not Bazball", but the England wicketkeeper feels comfortable in his role under Ben Stokes - even if a certain Jonny Bairstow might be breathing down his neck in the very near future.

Foakes has been in and out of the starting XI during the reign of Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum - partly for fitness reasons, and partly because of tactical decisions made by the team's management.

He missed parts of the summer after contracting Covid-19, and was rotated out of the side in Pakistan in favour of an additional bowler.

However, Foakes was included for the first Test in New Zealand and, as well as providing typically reliable glovework behind the stumps, the Surrey keeper also contributed two important innings with the bat.

While not as naturally combative as many of his teammates, Foakes proved that a more traditional anchor role still has a place in the Stokes-McCullum era.

^{Ben Foakes made important contributions with the bat in the first Test [Getty Images]}

^{Foakes might find his place under threat in the summer [Getty Images]}

He made 38 in the first innings and 51 second time around to shepherd his free-wheeling teammates towards totals which ultimately ensured a comfortable margin of victory. Those knocks came with strike rates over 60 - positively rapid in traditional Test cricket, but pretty sedate in England's brave new world.

Foakes, though, does not feel any obligation to reposition his style to slot in line with that of Harry Brook, Bairstow or Stokes.

"I'm not, as you'd say, BazBall. So I was kind of thinking 'how am I meant to go about this'. But I think ever since I've come in, it hasn't been that," he said. 

"It hasn't been: 'you have to try and hit every ball for six;. It's been: 'play your way but if you think the option is on, don't um and aah about it and be negative, go for it'.

"If there are guys coming around the wicket, bouncing you, instead of trying to get out the way all day, just go 'if I get caught I get caught', but go for it. It's more situations like that but again, sticking to my game plan.

"When I first came in the pressures involved in Test cricket were so extreme and you were so worried about playing a false shot and things like that, and sometimes now you can get out in a weird way and it's kind of a joke"

"Some of these guys have got more ability to hit it all over the place. I think if I try and do that it's just quite far away from my strengths, so I don't think it's the smartest idea. I think playing with freedom, but doing it in a way you feel comfortable. And I think, almost steadying it amongst the carnage can work sometimes, so I think just playing my natural game and that sort of situation in a game I quite enjoy so I think it worked quite well."

Foakes will keep his place for the second Test in Wellington, which is due to start on Friday (Thursday night UK time), but could find himself under threat come the summer.

England will have to decide how to bring Bairstow back into the XI for the Ireland Test and subsequent five-match Ashes series, once the Yorkshireman has recovered from the freak leg break which ruled him out of the winter. 

Given Brook's remarkable form with the bat and his natural fit with the style of play espoused by Stokes, it would be unthinkable for the youngster to be dropped for Bairstow.

^{England have to figure out how to fit Jonny Bairstow back into their Test XI [Getty Images]}

^{Foakes has played in fewer than half of the possible Tests since his 2018 debut [Getty Images]}

And while some pundits have suggested Bairstow could open the batting, there is just as good a case for him replacing Foakes.

"My England journey has been a bit of a rollercoaster from day one," Foakes said. He has played 19 Tests since his debut in Sri Lanka in 2018, out of a possible 55. 

"I've had a lot of times out of the team where I've thought about how I get back in. I guess thinking about those things doesn't help my game at all.

"I'm having some good form in my career and I'm just trying to enjoy that rather than stressing about what might happen."

Foakes is certainly England's best option with the gloves in all conditions and, while Bairstow is reliable, much was made in the summer about England not wanting to burden him with the dual pressures of batting and keeping wicket. 

It is a complicated conundrum, exacerbated by the form of Brook which will leave question marks over where he, Bairstow and Stokes bat in England's Ashes XI.

Foakes, then, just wants to live in the present. 

^{The Surrey wicketkeeper is enjoying his time in the England side [Getty Images]}

"This is arguably the best time to be a Test cricketer for England so if you can't enjoy it now then you're not going to," he said. 

"Whatever will be will be so rather than worrying about it and thinking about it worrying about your game isn't going to help me.  

"When I first came in the pressures involved in Test cricket were so extreme and you were so worried about playing a false shot and things like that, and sometimes now you can get out in a weird way and it's kind of a joke. 

"It's taken the pressure completely off and it's about freedom to express yourself and almost like what we're trying to achieve is that if you fail it doesn't matter because there's a bigger end goal."