he selectors did not have to delve too far into their memory banks. It was only 14 months ago that England returned from a tour to Sri Lanka, and the small tweaks made to the recent touring party to South Africa reflect mainly on that highly successful experience, when Joe Root led England to a first overseas whitewash for more than half a century. It was an astonishing series, closer in the final two Tests than the 3-0 scoreline suggested, because it was dominated, more than any other series in history, by spin. Exactly 100 wickets fell to spinners in the three Tests, which explains why Ben Foakes and Keaton Jennings have earned recalls, and why James Anderson has been given more time to recover