Playing one warm-up match backfired for England’s two leading batsmen as Joe Root and Harry Brook both failed against the Lions and will go into next week’s first Ashes Test worryingly undercooked.

The world’s top-two Test batsmen flunked their chances to develop pre-Ashes form on a day of heavy-run scoring at Lilac Hill. In what is likely to be their only chance for an innings before facing up ...