Testing times for England: our writers pick the top six for Edgbaston

England’s Adam Lyth, left, and Gary Ballance, second from right, are two players under pressure as coach Trevor Bayliss, right, looks on with Steven Finn. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters

Mike Selvey

1 Alastair Cook

2 Adam Lyth

3 Joe Root

4 Ian Bell

5 Ben Stokes

6 Jonny Bairstow

Related: Jonny Bairstow is good enough for the Ashes but be brave and back him

Root needs to be allowed to set the agenda, not repair damage caused by failure at the top of the order. So Ballance has to move out. He could move down the order but, provided there is satisfaction that Bairstow has eradicated technical faults, he has earned a recall. Stokes was England’s best player in Australia last time and there is no better technician in the side now

Jonny Bairstow scoring his latest ton. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Getty Images

Vic Marks

1 Alastair Cook

2 Adam Lyth

3 Ian Bell

4 Joe Root

5 Jonny Bairstow

6 Ben Stokes

There are three men under scrutiny. Of these only one of them, if dropped, is likely to come back to have a significant Test career and that is Ballance. For that curious, maybe spurious, reason he would be the one to give way – for Bairstow – so that he can rediscover form and be ready to return. The other two, Bell and Lyth, will have to fire at Edgbaston to survive

Ali Martin

1 Alastair Cook

2 Adam Lyth

3 Ian Bell

4 Joe Root

5 Jonny Bairstow

6 Ben Stokes

Ballance is a fine player and will come again, but his recent modes of dismissal suggest it is time to step away for a spell. Bairstow is averaging over 100 in county cricket this season and deserves to be judged on this, not his past Test experiences. Bell has looked low on confidence, so pump his tyres up and give him the extra responsibility at No3 at his home ground

Barney Ronay

1 Alastair Cook

2 Adam Lyth

3 Ian Bell

4 Joe Root

5 Jonny Bairstow

6 Ben Stokes

Ballance is out. Lyth should stay. Nobody else has made a stronger case in county cricket and nicking good balls on off stump is a weakness the Yorkshireman should be allowed to work out. Bell is on a final warning. Fail at three at Edgbaston, however, and I’m shuffling everyone up again and Alex Hales is coming in at No5

Ian Bell is bowled at Lord’s. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters

Simon Burnton

1 Adam Lyth

2 Alastair Cook

3 Joe Root

4 Ian Bell

5 Jonny Bairstow

6 Ben Stokes

In the 18 months since his last Test outing Bairstow seems to have corrected the technical issues with his backlift and, with a first-class average of 100.66 for Yorkshire this summer, is due another chance. Ballance, meanwhile, needs time to work on technical problems of his own and a spell out of the spotlight would allow Root to shift up to No3