England will ask a 32-year-old debutant usually found in Kent’s middle order to succeed against West Indies where so many others have failed in opening their brittle batting.
It is a big call to throw Joe Denly into what has become a must-win second Test but one England felt they had to make because of Keaton Jennings’ endless struggles against seam.
And it is a decision that represents perhaps the boldest call yet from national selector Ed Smith, who was very much behind the move to give Denly a belated chance this winter to show he can be more than a red-ball county journeyman.
Joe Denly will make his England Test debut at the top of the order alongside Rory Burns
Denly, the oldest English batting debutant since Alan Wells in 1995, will step up in yet another new opening partnership with Rory Burns, looking to repel a West Indian attack that demolished England so spectacularly in Barbados.
And England admitted their first Test selection mistake when they recalled Stuart Broad to the 12 for a second game that will be played on a pitch at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium that looked green yesterday and should suit pace much more than spin.
Broad looks certain to play, with Sam Curran the favourite to edge out Jack Leach for the final place and revert to the role of fourth seamer that suits him so much better than opening the bowling.
Jennings was not the only England player to pay the price for the Barbados debacle. Adil Rashid was left out of the 12 and immediately given permission to fly home to be with his pregnant wife. Rashid will return for the one-day series next month but, like Jennings, his future at Test level must now be in some doubt however hard Smith worked to get him to return to red-ball cricket last summer.
It is a big call to throw the batsman into what has become a must-win second Test
Denly, who has batted mainly at four or three for Kent recently, will become the latest batsman to jump on England’s opening merry-go-round as they seek to replace not only Andrew Strauss but now Sir Alastair Cook. His leg-spin will also serve as back-up to Moeen Ali.
Runs scored by Denly in the last two County Championship seasons - only Daryl Mitchell and new opening partner Rory Burns have more.
He had been pencilled in at three for the first Test against Sri Lanka before Christmas only to bat — and bowl — his way out of contention with poor performances in the two practice matches.
Denly was perhaps fortunate to retain his place in the squad ahead of Jason Roy and again looked
