Whichever way you cut it, that is a pattern.
There will no doubt be the suggestion that England are phoning this one in, perhaps understandably in the 17th Test of an exhausting year. If feels like a lazy accusation, and almost every pro would bristle at the insinuation they are not giving their all every time they step on to the field.
But there is also no denying New Zealand have more to gain than England in Hamilton. The tourists’ job of winning the series is done, the Black Caps are desperate to avoid only a third 3-0 defeat on home soil. There is the extra motivation of Tim Southee’s final Test.
At the very highest level, that extra 1% can make a huge difference. If the series had still been on the line, would England have skipped their training session two days out from this match? Probably not.
None of this is meant to provide England with an excuse. If, for example, we criticise them for being nowhere in the World Test Championship, they cannot be given a pass for losing their mojo at the end of a series, dead rubber or not.
As discussed at the beginning of this tour, England’s ethos can be their biggest strength and their biggest weakness. A relaxed environment can bring the best out of players, not sweating the small stuff can give the freedom to find peak performance. But overlooking the small things can result in carelessness – there’s that word again.
For better or worse, it is a pervading attitude in English cricket. McCullum is about to take over the white-ball team. The culture he and Stokes have created is being replicated in the Lions and down through the age groups.
The England men’s surrender of two World Cups in the past year-and-a-bit were rooted in a lack of attention to detail. The women’s failure at the T20 World Cup included not practising fielding at a Dubai ground with unique floodlights and off days spent at boat parties.
Stokes’ Test team have the opportunity to build a legacy over the coming year with landmark victories over India and Australia. Neither will happen without due care and attention.
It’s fine if England want to ban talk of being ruthless, but they should never be careless.
