Brydon Carse believes last week’s hard-fought win at Lord’s proved that England can shelve the fast-forward stuff when conditions – or opponents – demand something different.
The Durham seamer’s own contribution was telling. His first-innings 50 underpinned a total of 387 compiled at a restrained 3.44 runs an over, while with the ball he bagged 3 for 118, including a late-evening burst from the Pavilion End that swung the match back towards the hosts. India had been edging into the ascendancy; Carse used the slope, trapped Karun Nair and Shubman Gill lbw, and the ground crackled.
“The atmosphere was incredible, the adrenaline was flowing,” Carse told ESPNcricinfo. “It was an incredibly crucial stage of the game that I was desperate to make an impact in, and I felt in good rhythm bowling that evening.”
He added: “To be able to pick up a couple of wickets in that spell and put the momentum back into our hands going into day five was incredibly satisfying. At times, over the course of the series so far, I feel like I’ve been bowling well and maybe haven’t had as much luck as I would have liked, but that was certainly satisfying for me.”
England’s default since 2022 has been all-out aggression with both bat and ball. Lord’s, though, demanded patience. Over four days the pitch stayed flat, India resisted, and England were forced to bank time rather than boundaries.
“It was not the typical style of cricket that we would like to play, and it took some adjustment, but it shows this side can move forward and adapt to certain situations,” Carse said. “We spoke a lot at the start of the series about how to get to that next level, about being a dominant Test team and the best Test team in the world. And as this game panned out, we showed that it’s not always going to be one-minded or a certain style of cricket. So, it was very satisfying as a group.”
The finish on the final afternoon was tense. Ravindra Jadeja shepherded the tail and whittled the target to 23 before Shoaib Bashir – bowling with a fractured finger – finally pinned Mohammad Siraj. Carse’s overriding emotion? Relief.
“You wanted to fall to your knees, almost,” Carse added, speaking in his new role as an ambassador for Step One underwear. “It was unbelievable, after all the hard work that the group put in over those five days. It was the best game that I’ve been involved in with England. And, from speaking to the guys who’ve played a lot of franchise cricket and Tests, like Harry Brook, who I get on really well with, he was saying that’s his best Test win. So to hear that among the group, and to share those thoughts after the game, was a special feeling.”
The noise inside the Long Room afterwards took some of the senior men by surprise. “Once we got off that field and walked through the Long Room, it was an incredible atmosphere … really loud. A couple of the guys who had played in the Ashes said that’s the loudest they’ve ever heard the Long Room. It was a pretty special week.”
A short breather followed before the series resumes at Old Trafford. England lead 2-1 with two to play; the bowlers, all of whom logged marathon spells at Lord’s, value the pause.
“It was a complete collective effort from all the bowlers,” he said.
Old Trafford is likely to offer more pace, perhaps more spin if the dry spell continues. Either way, Carse is content that England have shown they possess more than one method. And if a quieter tempo is needed again, they now have proof that it can work.
