Indian cricket team would be crestfallen as there was a lack of intent & fight shown by the batters. Rohit Sharma looked only in good touch and it seemed as if he was batting on a different surface. Rohit Sharma‘s knock of 87 runs in 101 balls was the biggest positive for the side. India managed to post a below par score of 229-9.
Perhaps, Rohit Sharma & management missed a trick by not including the veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin into the playing 11 as the pitch unexpectedly has proved to be a rank turner. England’s side would be pumped up as chasing 230 runs is not a mammoth task in the modern cricket given their batting depth and hitting ability, the Britain side are red hot favorites to win the clash.
Batting line up exposed
There was a lot of hype around Virat Kohli’s next ODI ton i.e. 49th ODI ton but a rare golden duck exposed India’s fragile middle order. Head coach Rahul Dravid would be having some serious conversations with the dashing batter Shreyas Iyer as once again, he was undone by the short delivery. KL Rahul would be utterly disappointed that he threw away his start as the batter was dismissed for 39 runs in 58 balls as he struck 3 fours.
The management would be delighted with the outing of Suryakumar Yadav who not only played a sensible and mature knock of 49 runs in 47 balls but the batter took the team out of the precarious position of 183-7. India’s tail was quite long as his partnership with the batters took India’s total to somewhat respectable total.
A delight for Jos Buttler & Co
Jos Buttler wouldn’t have asked for a better outcome after asking India to bowl first. Buttler’s decision to give a marathon spell to Chris Woakes worked quite well as he took 2 key wickets of Shubman Gill & Shreyas Iyer. It was a collective effort from the Britishers and they made a statement that they may be having a forgettable tournament but they are not a finished product.
England’s bowling unit bowled 5 maiden overs and gave away only 7 extras which says a lot about the team’s discipline and commitment towards the game. We should not forget that in this match too the flamboyant all-rounder Ben Stokes didn’t roll his arm. Mark Wood was bowling thunderbolts and the batters were seen clueless against the sheer pace and impeccable line & length.
Who’s winning England or India?
Rohit Sharma will have to pull a rabbit out of the hat as one single partnership of 70 odd runs can make life harder for the bowlers as defending 229 runs won’t be an easy task by any means. There are chances that dew may come into the game which would keep England in the ascendancy. The powerplay overs hold the key as 2-3 wickets can change the complexion of the match.
England on the other side would be sensing that they have this game in their bag and they will have to play extremely badly to lose this contest. Dawid Malan’s role would be pivotal in the high octane clash as he is someone who can play the waiting game as well as the destructive one as well. England would be eyeing to salvage some pride by dethroning the mighty Indians.
Irrespective of the result, this performance of India’s batting contingent is not only a wake-up call but a brutal reality which a billion people may face in the knockout changes in the marquee tournament. Virat Kohli’s left arm bowling nemesis, poor middle order & over dependency on Rohit Sharma. India may be the unbeaten side in the tournament but today’s performance doesn’t keep the team in good stead; only if the side wants to win ICC ODI WC 2023.
Also Read: IND vs ENG: Chris Woakes Sends Back Struggling Shreyas Iyer Back Cheaply