alfie wrote: it doesn't seem unreasonable to suggest that they've improved a bit under the new management
Playing devil's advocate, one could make a case that the majority of England's success is made up on their best batsman and bowler performing to very high levels, and the addition of one player on the form of his life, and a handful of decent contributions down the team.
But Lees, Pope and Crawley all average under 30 this summer, so its hard to say they have improved. Foakes/Billings samples are too small with 2 games each, and neither really making a noteworthy batting innings. Potts has no point of reference as he debuted. Leach I'd argue looks uncertain to be picked and got the ball after Root this test. Stokes batting level this summer is about what he averaged normally in the recent summers past, but his bowling has declined. Broad's figures have declined.
And then you take the three that have done unquestionably well.
Root is coming off arguably his best calendar year (averaged more in 14, but only 10 innings, compared to a massive amount of games in 21) and his average when not captaining is 10 runs better. He's a world class player that seems to have entered his very peak, and the evidence was already there before this summer.
Bairstow scored 3 centuries in 4 tests before the summer... so he was already carrying career best form too.
Anderson in the first half of the summer in England doing well? Its the cricketing equivalent of gravity, its just a constant.