Ashes 2019: England look to Jason Roy and Rory Burns to solve their openers problem

The retirement of Alastair Cook has only further highlighted a weak area for Joe Root's side

Alastair Cook. 2012-2018. For so long the one consistent element to England's opening pair as so many partners came and went. Involved in four successful Ashes winning teams before he retired after 161 Tests last September against India. Getty

Nick Compton. 2012-13 and 2016. The first person England looked at after Strauss retired. Started encouragingly with two hundreds in New Zealand but then was quickly dropped after a run of low scores. Was recalled tp bat at No 3 in 2015 in South Africa but was ditched again after scoring only 51 runs in three Tests against Sri Lanka in 2016. AFP

Joe Root. 2013. Easy to forget that England's captain, who has just been persuaded to bat at No 3 again, had a brief stint as opener in the 2013 Ashes. He struggled against the new ball, a 180 at Lord's apart, and he moved back down the order following the series. Getty

Michael Carberry 2013-14. Carberry, struggled, as did the rest of the England team, in Australia in the 2013-14 Ashes. Averaged 28 and made one half-century in 10 innings and was dropped at the end of the series. Reuters

Sam Robson 2014. There was high hopes for the Middlesex man, but he failed to convince with a shaky technique outside his off-stump. A fine 127 against Sri Lanka at Headingley was the highlight of his brief run of seven Tests. Getty

Jonathan Trott. 2015. Trott enjoyed much success with England in the Test side but little of that came when he opened in the West Indies in 2015. He suffered three ducks in six innings and scored only 72 runs - 59 of which came in one innings. His struggles in the Caribbean spelled the end of his Test career. Getty

Adam Lyth. 2015. Not many players can claim to have been part of an Ashes winning side. Yorkshire player Lyth can after playing all five Tests in 2015. His technique was exposed by Australia, however, as he made only 125 runs in nine innings. He was dropped at the end of the series, though did have the consolation of 107 against New Zealand in his second Test appearance. AFP

Moeen Ali. 2015. Usually batting in the lower order, he was promoted to partner Cook in the UAE in 2015 against Pakistan. The experiment didn't work, however, as he averaged just 14, and he was back down at No 8 for the following series in South Africa. Getty

Jos Buttler. 2015. Opened just once for England. Was promoted up the order for a run chase in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan. Hit one boundary in five balls for being dismissed. Reuters

Alex Hales. 2015-16. There was big hopes for Hales who had shone in limited overs international cricket. Was given 11 Tests to make his mark, but struggled to bat with the conviction he showed in the 50-over format. Averaged just 27 and was ditched after making just six and 12 against Pakistan at The Oval in August 2016. Getty

Ben Duckett. 2016. Had two Tests as an opener against Bangladesh and failed to impress with 92 runs in four innings. Was dropped down the order for following series in India to No 4, but was cast aside after scoring only 18 runs in two Tests. Getty

Haseeb Hameed. 2016. Showed signs of promise in India, averaging 43 in a struggling side that lost 4-0. However, his county form imploded subsequently and has not been near the Test side since. Reuters

Keaton Jennings. 2016-19. A stop-start career for Jennings. Has batted at No 3 too during his 17 Tests but most have been as opener. Has scored two hundreds, both overseas in India and Sri Lanka, but consistently found wanting in English conditions. Yet to pass 50 in a home Test and averages 17. Was dropped at the start of this summer for Jason Roy. Reuters

Mark Stoneman. 2017-18. Frustrated English selectors by regularly getting good starts but not kicking on. Hit nine half-centuries in 11 Tests but never made it to three figures. Was jettisoned for Jennings's second chance at Test life after a poor match against Pakistan in May 2018. Getty

Rory Burns. 2018-19. Given his chance in Sri Lanka last autumn. The Surrey opener has found Test cricket tough and has clear flaws in his technique about playing the ball outside his off stump. Will start Ashes 2019 in England's side but needs considerable improvement to remain there. Getty

Jack Leach. 2018-19. Has twice opened in a nightwatchman role for England. The tailender did it in Sri Lanka in 2018 and then to much more memorable circumstances against Ireland at Lord's in July as he made a thrilling 92. Getty

Joe Denly. 2019. Made his Test debut as an opener in the West Indies in January. Has since batted at No 3 and will now move to No 4 for the coming Ashes series. Getty

Jason Roy. 2019. The latest hope. Shone at the Cricket World Cup and England hoping he can now transfer that form to Test cricket. Debuted against Ireland and rode his luck in a second innings 72. Reuters

September 2005 was a special time for English cricket. The draw in the final Test at The Oval in London clinched England’s first Ashes series win over Australia in 18 years.

It started a cycle of success, at least on their own soil, for the English as they have won the past three series at home, as well as lifting the little Ashes urn in 2009, 2013 and 2015.

The final Test in 2005 had a number of notable milestones. Yes, England’s losing streak ended. There was also the maiden Test hundred from Kevin Pietersen.

But it was also the last time that England had gone into an Ashes match without Alastair Cook in their line-up. Cook made his Test debut in 2006 and has played in the past 35 Ashes matches, the last 20 between 2013 and January 2018 as captain.

The 34-year-old will be in Birmingham tomorrow for the start of the latest series. But this time, he will be there as a pundit for the BBC, having retired from international cricket last summer after the 4-1 home victory over India.

His absence, as an opening batsman, will be keenly felt in the England camp as it has again highlighted the country’s inability to produce quality openers in the Test arena.

This England squad is an odd one. There is a headache – albeit one captains and selectors prefer – over who to leave out of their attack as they have an abundance of bowling options. They have two players who can keep wicket.

But, when it comes to openers, England are struggling and they are heading into Edgbaston with an air of trepidation as Jason Roy and Rory Burns look set to be the opening pair.

They are the latest in an embarrassingly long line of attempts to find a ­regular top-order partnership.

England have been unable to properly replace Andrew Strauss since he retired in 2012 and, seven years later, the problem has now doubled with no Cook either. Roy became the 18th different batsman to open an England Test innings since August 2012 when he debuted against Ireland in last week’s warm-up match.

The inconsistency also relates to the Ashes with ­England having had a different player partner Cook in the past four series.

They were Joe Root (2013), Michael Carberry (2013-14), Adam Lyth (2015) and Mark Stoneman (2017-18).

Roy earned his chance after his exceptional performances in limited overs cricket, highlighted by his starring role as England became world champions in the 50-over format for the first time earlier this month. The 29-year-old had a mixed time of it against the Irish.

He rode his luck early on to make 72 in the second innings after ­managing only five in his first knock as he – and ­England as whole – toiled against the nagging line and length of Tim Murtaugh as the hosts were bowled out for a humiliating 85.

His Surrey teammate Rory Burns has been in the England set-up since last November and he has rarely looked comfortable.

He struggled badly against Ireland, making six in both innings, and he was tentative throughout at Lord’s.

The Australian bowlers will have been salivating at what they saw last week, with Josh Hazlewood already starting mind games with Roy by criticising his technique and questioning whether he can adapt to red-ball cricket.

Australia will know that if they can run through ­England’s openers cheaply in the coming weeks, that will be a big step towards them winning an away Ashes series for the first time since 2001.

The quick scoring of Marcus Trescothick (2005), Strauss stepping up in big occasions (2009), and Cook’s efforts

over the past decade have all been examples of how important the opener position has been for England.

It has been the same for Australia. Mark Taylor, Geoff Marsh, Michael Slater, Matthew Elliott, Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden all scored important runs that set the tone for the Australian dominance between 1989 and 2005.

It is unsurprising that they have instantly restored David Warner, after his ban for the ball-tampering row in South Africa, to the Test squad at the first opportunity.

Warner is a proven Test-match player – scoring 6,363 runs at an average of 48.2 – and the likely return of his partnership with Cameron Bancroft, also back from his ban, will be seen as giving Australia stability for their first wicket.

Both sides have promising, attack-minded middle orders, but it will be England who with more concerns about their opening pair.

England’s bowling attack has usually been the crucial factor in recent victories – the Ashes 2015 win and last summer’s victory over India were all led by the ability to take 20 wickets quickly, rather than the exploits with the bat.

Not for the first time, England are going into a big series hoping, rather then expecting, good things from someone making their Ashes debut. It did not work out for Carberry, Lyth or Stoneman. Will it play out any differently for Roy or Burns? Only time will tell.