CHENNAI: The nature of competition or the lack of it in cricket is such that when the World Cup comes calling, the country staging it is usually rated among the favourites. With the exception of the West Indies in 2007, three of the last four editions saw home teams among the sides tipped to go the distance. In the last two editions, that’s how it turned out to be, with all four finalists being the co-hosts.
Taking all that into account, it’s fair to say that the hosts have seldom been so widely regarded as overwhelming favourites like England are this time. A website listing betting odds from 28 companies has each of them offering least on an English triumph. Due chiefly to the success of a batting principle based on acceleration throughout the 50 overs, Eoin Morgan’s team has been No. 1 in this format since May 2018, having won 31 of 44 ODIs in the last two years. At home they are a greater force, winning 18 out of 22 in this period. In 11 of those they topped 300, including a world record 481/6 against Australia last year.
Not that there have not been blips. Going in as favourites in the 2017 Champions Trophy semifinals, England lost to eventual champions Pakistan. Even this year, they were held 2-2 in the West Indies. But by and large, this heavy batting artillery has delivered and they are in form. In the recent 4-0 win against Pakistan, the lowest they made was 341/7. They start aggressively from both ends, like Sri Lanka in 1996.
Unlike teams of the past, this English lot tries to sustain the tempo through the innings. That makes the difference between 320 and 350-plus and consistent execution of this plan separates Morgan’s men from others.
Authorities in England saw sense in this ploy and helped the team by preparing pitches that suit this kind of an approach. It started from the domestic level, which also saw a quantum leap in the volume of runs. But with the ICC being in charge of the preparation of pitches for the World Cup, this could be a minor concern for the hosts. Their one-day philosophy is based on the principle of relentless hitting, which may not be as easy as it has been, if the ICC goes for tracks offering more to the bowlers. In fact, it has been a stated policy of the world body that pitches for these competitions should not overtly favour any one department.
The other concern for England irrespective of conditions would be bowling. In the period the team crossed 300 11 times, their bowlers conceded that many on seven occasions. For India, for example, this ratio is 13:5. In the West Indies, England’s 418/6 in the fourth ODI was not looking safe until late into the home team’s reply, although they won by 29 runs. Even English fans would admit their bowling is not as strong as the batting.
ALSO READ | All you need to know about England
It is often seen that when the batsmen of two sides cancel each other out in high-scoring games, bowlers prove to be the difference. Probably with an eye on this, Jofra Archer was added to the squad. They also have Mark Wood as the other pacer. With all-rounders and specialist spinners, the arsenal is complete on paper. Whether as a unit they can rise to the occasion in crunch games has to be seen. That way, how their bowlers measure up against heavyweight teams in pressure situations would determine the destiny of the great English dream.
Date with Southgate
England’s squad and backroom staff spent time with the nation’s football manager Gareth Southgate, whose side revitalised interest and affection in the country by reaching the semifinals of last year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia. “It was brilliant,” said skipper Eoin Morgan. “He got up and talked about his journey with the team in and around the World Cup and how they built bigger expectations and came together more as a group. I think everybody within the room listening, who have been involved with our team over the last four years, recognised that: we started exactly where they did.”
