Bowling back-up

By Martin Gough
BBC Sport at Lord's

Plunkett plugged away to bowl better in the second innings

When an injury crisis hit England's leading batsmen in India, young and inexperienced players stepped up ably to fill their spots.

Back at home for the summer, it has been the turn of the bowlers to head for the treatment room.

And so far their replacements have had mixed success.

Sajid Mahmood blazed into the headlines with three wickets in his first four overs on Test debut.

Liam Plunkett impressed despite going wicketless until the final day and Monty Panesar continued his development as a potential England spinner for the next decade.

Even though they failed to finish off Sri Lanka in more than 13 hours of trying, the trio have done enough to prove England have potential strength in depth.

But will any of them be in the first-choice line-up when England take the field in Brisbane for the first Ashes Test on 23 November?

HOW THE ROOKIES FARED Sajid Mahmood: 3-50 & 2-118 Liam Plunkett: 0-52 & 1-85 Monty Panesar: DNB & 2-49

The selectors convened before the first Test without an entire attack - pace bowlers Steve Harmison (shin), Simon Jones (knee), James Anderson (back) and spinner Ashley Giles (groin).

For Anderson, whose stress fractures have ruled him out of the entire series, it was a particularly cruel blow as he could have staked a claim to re-establish his place in the side.

With only Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff in the attack boasting more than a handful of caps, though, David Graveney and his team bravely looked for new blood.

Plunkett played a single Test in both India and Pakistan over the winter, where he looked full of effort but formulaic.

Hopefully Sajid has learned he has got to be more consistent, as Plunkett did over the last two days Mike Gatting

He struggled in his first innings at Lord's, continually bowling down the leg-side but he found a more consistent line at the second attempt, as well as a mastery of swing.

Several observers see him as an ideal stand-in for Jones, who is out until July at least.

Former England skipper and BBC Test Match Special analyst Mike Gatting said: "That's the sort of thing you want as a captain - control from your bowlers.

"If Harmison comes back for the second Test he will bring pace and bounce but Plunkett is almost a second Matthew Hoggard."

Mahmood, who did little in four one-day internationals over the winter, must have thought Test cricket was a very easy prospect on Friday evening.

Mahmood took three wickets in his first four overs

The Bolton-born bowler had Kumar Sangakkara caught at slip with his 12th ball and took two more scalps, both lbw with full deliveries, in his next two overs.

He found the second innings more difficult, though, as he appeared unable to adjust his line, stuck with two options - the shorter ball and that deadly yorker.

Gatting compared his arrival in the Test team with that of Jones four years ago.

"He gets more bounce whereas Jones is a more skiddy bowler but when Jones first came into the side he was a bit of a 'two length' bowler," he said on the final day.

"Hopefully Sajid has learned he has got to be more consistent, as Plunkett has done over the last two days.

"He can go away now and get a bit more consistency."

Feature: Costly errors - dropped catches

Panesar may need to work harder on his fielding, especially as crowds in Australia will be equally raucous but far less indulgent.

But in the short spells he was allowed to bowl he managed to keep runs at a minimum while still threatening with expert control of flight and a little turn.

Giles is expected back in action within the month, and is seen as an integral part of the side, not least because of his batting at number eight.

But the spinner's place could be the most hotly-contested in the run-up to the next Ashes contest, while some exciting young pace bowlers continue to mature.