Instead the choices will be much more straightforward. Swann plays if fit, Broad plays if breathing and then perm two from James Anderson, Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Harmison and new arrival Amjad Khan. Harmison, like Rashid, is a dubious option as one of four bowlers though for very different reasons. He and Anderson are the men in possession and after the toothlessness in St John's it will be tempting to shake up the seam attack for a fast, grassy surface. If Sidebottom is carrying an injury, and there are times when it looks that way, then Khan is in contention for a debut after his tour match five-fer; if Swann is ruled out Strauss may prefer a fourth fast bowler to the down-on-his-luck Monty Panesar.
No such trials and tribulations for the West Indies, who retain the same 13 from the second and third Tests on Antigua. However there must be a temptation to replace two of the great underachievers in this generation.
Devon Smith has made six, 38 and 21 in the series so far and though he showed better patience at St John's - a constant gripe against the left-hander - he is under severe pressure from Lendl Simmons, compiler of 282 for West Indies A in a tour match that now seems some months ago.
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