England men’s Test team – Stephan Shemilt’s 2024 awards

No contest on this one. The opening Test in Pakistan might have come as a result of some staggering run-scoring, the series win in New Zealand was something of a surprise and captain Ben Stokes rates the defeat of West Indies at Trent Bridge as his favourite, but they all pale in comparison to England’s opening match of the year.

The first-Test win against India was one of England’s greatest overseas victories of all time. Given the strength of the opponents, the conditions, absence of Harry Brook, injury to Jack Leach and inexperience of the attack, it was as sensational as it was unexpected.

England were a whopping 190 runs behind on first innings, and 163-5 in the second. Then came Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley. Victory was completed in the extra half hour in dying light on the fourth day. England fell apart across the rest of the series, hastening an overhaul in personnel, but we’ll always have the Heist of Hyderabad.