England have backed themselves into a corner over Compton

Whereas Compton has struggled since scoring back-to-back centuries against New Zealand in March, Root has soared.

In five first-class matches this season, the Yorkshireman has scored 889 runs at 111.12.

In contrast, Compton’s last six Test innings have been 13, 2, 16, 15, 1 and 7, statistics that have cast doubt over his participation in the forthcoming Ashes series.

Mixed messages have been emanating from the England camp concerning Compton.

On the one hand, Alastair Cook, the captain and Compton’s opening partner, said in the wake of the Headingley Test that it would be “a risk” to change things around at this stage.

“It’s an important position in a very big series,” said Cook.

“You are in the firing line straight away and want to set a good tone at the top of the order.”

On the other hand, Andy Flower, the England team director, said Compton needed to fill his boots in the county game.

“He’s got to go away and get back into form, score some heavy runs for Somerset,” said Flower.

“He has a few days off, then plays in a couple of one-day games before playing first-class cricket again.”

Whether England stick with Compton is open to question.

Having picked him ahead of Root in the winter, they may feel obligated to keep faith with him.

Such has been Root’s form, however, along with the impressive strides taken by Yorkshire team-mate Jonny Bairstow, that the top-six would appear a straightforward choice.

The batting order for the first Test against Australia at Trent Bridge on July 10 should be Cook, Root, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell and Bairstow, assuming that Pietersen is fit after a long-term knee injury.

Although there is a growing consensus among pundits and former players that this should be the line-up, some of us – no names, no pack drill – were advocating that top-six before the winter tour to India.

It seemed obvious then that Root was the better bet to open the batting, just as it seemed obvious that Bairstow should get a run at No 6.

England, however, had other ideas. They have now backed themselves into a self-inflicted corner.

Among those calling for Compton’s head is former England captain Michael Vaughan.

“Mentally, he looks like a guy who is too uptight,” said Vaughan.

“He thinks about his batting 24/7, does a lot of drills and trains hard. He is doing everything he can to be a Test batsman.

“He looks like a guy who has one failure, starts to worry and retreats into his shell.”

According to Vaughan, Compton’s difficulties are technical ones. “His problem stems from his rigid stance,” he added.

“He stands dead still and looks to go forward. He plants his foot down middle stump and also lifts that front foot slightly in the air. He does not get his front foot close enough to the ball.”

In my view, one not expounded with the benefit of hindsight, England have made a poor judgement call.

Granted, Compton scored those back-to-back centuries against New Zealand in the winter, but that was never likely to be a long-term barometer.

Many of those people who were saying that Root should bide his time in the middle order because he does not have the requisite technique to open in Test cricket have suddenly changed their tune.

But as anyone who watches county cricket closely would have known, Root has always had a good technique.