England follow Warne's spin cycle

Two former skippers say England have been "going around in circles" when it comes to their spin bowlers and the numbers show they have tried and discarded tweakers at almost twice the rate Australia did following the retirement of Shane Warne in 2007.

Australia took almost a decade to settle on a frontline spinner after Warne's departure, with Nathan Lyon dropped twice in 2013 and almost a third time in 2016 on his way to becoming his country’s greatest-ever off-spinner and one of the first players picked in the Test XI.

Australia tried 14 different spinners in the decade following Warne's retirement, a tally that England have almost matched just four-and-a-half years since the departure of their own star spinner, Graeme Swann, in late 2013.

Adil Rashid, who will make his controversial return to England's XI against India tonight, is one of 12 spinners England have used in 56 Tests since Swann retired partway through the 2013-14 Ashes campaign as the second-most prolific slow bowler his country has produced.

This week's Test at Edgbaston will be Rashid's first since 2016, signalling the 20th time since Swann's exit that England have changed the make-up of their spin attack and the fifth time in six Tests this year.

Australia's selectors were heavily criticised in the post-Warne era as spinners came and went, with only Lyon (78 Tests) and Nathan Hauritz (16) tried for more than five matches before being discarded.

Hauritz, Brad Hogg, Stuart MacGill, Beau Casson, Cameron White, Jason Krejza, Bryce McGain, Steve Smith, Xavier Doherty and Michael Beer were all picked as spinners and then quickly dropped between Warne's retirement in 2007 and Lyon's debut four-and-a-half years later, while Ashton Agar, Steve O'Keefe and Jon Holland have all played since then, normally as a second spinner alongside Lyon.

And the rate of England's churn of slow bowlers since Swann's shock exit has been even greater.

After Monty Panesar and Scott Borthwick saw out the remainder of that 2013-14 Ashes series following Swann's departure, Moeen Ali was brought into the side and has offered some measure of stability, playing 50 of 54 Tests since his debut in June 2014.

But Moeen's regular selection masks the fact that his role in the side has fluctuated during that time between being a frontline spinner and a batsman who bowls some spin.

And trips to the UAE, Bangladesh and India since Moeen’s debut have accelerated the inclusion of nine different spinners – Rashid, James Tredwell, Samit Patel, Gareth Batty, Zafar Ansari, Liam Dawson, Mason Crane, Jack Leach and Dom Bess – since 2015, normally as spin support for Moeen.

Of those 12 spinners used since Swann, Moeen and Rashid are the only ones to have played more than three Tests.

After former captain Geoffrey Boycott's scathing column this week, Hussain said the long list of names highlights the muddled thinking of England's selectors.

"England also seem to be going round in circles when it comes to spinners," Hussain wrote in The Daily Mail.

"The list over the past couple of years has gone from Rashid and Moeen to Gareth Batty, Zafar Ansari, Liam Dawson, Mason Crane, Leach and Bess, now back to Rashid.

"Why is it that batsmen get several games to bed in while spinners get one or two and are then jettisoned?"

On Tuesday, skipper Joe Root confirmed that Rashid had got the nod as England's sole spinner ahead of Moeen, who was dropped earlier this year after a horror Ashes campaign in Australia.

The damaging allrounder forced his way back into the squad with eight wickets for Worcestershire last week, but Root said selectors wanted to unleash Rashid on India's right-handers.

"Looking at the surface, we've decided we only want to go with one spinner, and that's going to be Adil," Root said.

"With the amount of right-handers in what we think is going to be India's team, he gives us a very attacking option.

"I think he's obviously bowling with a huge amount of confidence.

"I’ve got a great idea of how to captain him. Ultimately that story will be told in time. But I have known Adil for a long time, seen his success over the last year in white-ball cricket and feel I have an opportunity to get the best out of him in this format."

Whether Rashid is ultimately the spinner England settle on, as Australia did with Lyon, is yet to be seen.

England Test spinners since Graeme Swann
(from Dec 2013 to present)

Monty Panesar - 1 Test
Scott Borthwick - 1
Moeen Ali - 50
James Tredwell - 1
Adil Rashid - 10
Samit Patel - 1
Gareth Batty - 2
Zafar Ansari - 3
Liam Dawson - 3
Mason Crane - 1
Jack Leach - 1
Dom Bess - 2

Australia Test spinners since Shane Warne
(from Jan 2007 to Jan 2017)

Brad Hogg - 3 Tests
Stuart MacGill - 4
Nathan Hauritz - 16
Beau Casson - 1
Cameron White - 4
Jason Krezja - 2
Bryce McGain - 1
Steve Smith - 2
Xavier Doherty - 4
Michael Beer - 2
Nathan Lyon - 78
Ashton Agar - 4
Stephen O'Keefe - 9
Jon Holland - 2