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Test cricket is at a tipping point - and for some England players there will be no way back
As the 3-1 series defeat to India fades from the memory this winter's lasting legacy will be the tipping point when the importance of playing Test cricket was eroded.
Covid caused the change with the introduction of bubble life. But Covid will leave a lasting imprint on many aspects of life, and for cricket its effect seems to be the weakening of the Test game.
England have set a precedent this winter in allowing players to rest ostensibly for fulfilling IPL deals. It is IPL mission creep. Firstly, players were encouraged to take up deals to prepare for the 2019 World Cup and there was a time when it was thought the IPL would only affect England's home summer and the clash with the May Test series.
The early summer series was taken out of the calendar for that very reason but has returned out of necessity in June to make money for the counties.
But this India tour has made it clear the IPL impinges on England's winter too now. Players see their earnings in the IPL as non-negotiable and England do not want confrontation so rested players against India to accommodate them playing in the IPL.
It has changed the landscape for players, especially those in the latter years of their careers. Take Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. Both are over 30, and face an uncertain Test future. Their best way of fighting back in the Test side is to play lots of first-class cricket, rediscover form, iron out technical flaws and rebuild shattered confidence.
It is how players of previous generations would have found their way back. They would have had no other choice. But now players can have second careers. Both want IPL careers and to cash in on the Twenty20 circuit where they are highly prized. They want to stay in England's one-day team too. It is easier work than the rigours of Test cricket and the players find it more enjoyable. It is not to say they do not appreciate Test cricket or still value high achievement in the longer format above everything else but it grinds you down and careers are short.
Bairstow and Moeen lost their red ball central contracts so who can blame them for looking elsewhere. With the IPL final confirmed for May 30, it is unlikely any England player involved can really take much of a part in the New Zealand series starting on June 2 even if they are Test regulars let alone Bairstow and Moeen.
Redrawing central contracts so the Test and white ball deals are more equitable and payments based on appearances is one answer but only goes so far because England's multi-format players are equally affected by the IPL.
How long will Jofra Archer accept the risk to his elbow of bowling long spells in Test cricket ahead of concentrating on Twenty20? He is 25. He could have a decade of IPL earnings ahead of him. That is upwards of £15m when commercial opportunities are added on top.
England will not win the Ashes without Archer frightening the life out of Australians but with his IPL contract and place in the white ball team, as well as fitness issues to consider, Root will have to bend and only use him sparingly.
Jos Buttler played three Tests this winter but will play a full IPL, and if Rajasthan Royals make the finals, might not play Test cricket again until August. Buttler and Archer were at the core of Root's Ashes planning but as multi-format players and rotation a possibility, that might have to change.
It is nine months until the first Test in Australia but already England's Ashes plans wear a troubled look.
Both Root and Silverwood have warned rotation is likely to be a policy for the Ashes if covid restrictions remain in place which given Australia's zero tolerance approach is highly likely.
But Silverwood also believes rotation has given England a better chance of winning in Australia later this year because players will be fresher for missing some cricket now.
However, building a team is impossible when players come and go. That is the no 1 lesson from losing this series 3-1 and England's Ashes hopes will disappear through the revolving door if they chop and change senior players in Australia.
"We have to be proactive in looking after them, so it (Ashes rotation) is certainly something that we may have to look at, yes," said Silverwood. "We are trying to grow a group of players where we can put a strong side all the time. There is a whole load of cricket coming up this summer, then we very quickly disappear abroad once our summer is finished. We've got to make sure we are proactive and look after our players."
Of the big three, this is a problem for England more so than Australia and India. Australia do not play the same volume of Test cricket so burn out is less of an issue. India's schedules are cleared for IPL and they bar their players from appearing in other tournaments so there is no clash of priorities.
Next winter is busier than ever and the choice that faces the England management and players is working out what is really important and what is not. Do they all desperately want to regain the Ashes or are priorities mixed now? It feels like the picture is cloudier than ever.
