CHENNAI: The period leading up to their stunning but not surprising 2015 World Cup exit had seen England lost in the quagmire of their own inadequacies in the limited-over format. Especially batting, which was more often than not ponderous, and unsuited to the changes that had come over the art in the last few years.
Fast forward to 2017, and after a slew of record-breaking performances — both individual and as a team — in the intervening phase, they are one of the most dangerous and exciting batting units in the world.
An attacking opening pair of Jason Roy and Alex Hales, builders like Joe Root and destructive players like Jos Buttler in the middle means they can set and chase targets. Lack of runs from captain Eoin Morgan appears to be the only concern.
Their batsmen also put up strong shows in the two warm-up games, reinforcing claims that they will be the biggest challenge for the hosts. “They’ve been really dangerous over the past few years, but two practice games aren’t the parameters to judge by.
All three grounds where the ODIs are happening — Pune, Kolkata and Cuttack — are known to be high-scoring, so batting will take precedence,” former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta said.
But as much as their batting has hogged the limelight, it’s in the other department that they will be tested.
Without premier Test fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the likes of David Willey, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and Steve Finn will have to prove they can hold their own against some of the biggest hitters in their own conditions.
Nayan Mongia feels it is bowling that will be crucial in the upcoming limited-over series. “Everyone knows that both teams have high-class batsmen, but what could decide the series is performance of bowlers. Whichever team bowls better, and restricts the opposition to manageable totals, will prevail,” opined the former India wicketkeeper.
There will be other factors as well. “The toss will be important, because all three ODIs are day-night games. That also brings dew into play, and preparing turners will also bring spinners into play. But again, a good batting track means dew may not matter that much. There’s a lot of outside factors to consider,” Mongia noted.
This is India’s last ODI series before the Champions Trophy in June, and Dasgupta feels only a few things need to be sorted out. “The opening slot, once Rohit (Sharma) comes back, needs to be looked at. The way the team reacts to Virat’s (Kohli) captaincy will also be key. And then there’s the matter of the middle-order, with Manish (Pandey) and (Kedar) Jadhav vying for positions 5/6. Apart from that, the team looks settled, so it’s just a matter of executing plans and performing to potential,” Dasgupta said.
With the Champion’s Trophy just a few months away, this series could be crucial to deciding the correct personnel who will lead India’s title defencec.
raviiyer@newindianexpress.com