Preview: England need runs and more runs (preferably above 350) to contain rampaging India

The thing about three-match ODI series is that they get over quickly. This is especially true for a touring side. You lose the first match, and suddenly you are fighting to save the series, without fully understanding what went wrong. Just ask England, after that pasting in Pune.

So, what went wrong for the visitors on Sunday? Since the 2015 World Cup, and before the start of this series, England had crossed the 300-run mark in 14 One-Day Internationals. They had won 10 times, and lost four matches. Furthermore, they had batted first 10 times in these 14 matches, and won on 7 occasions.

Basically, every time England hit the 300-mark in the last couple years, they enjoyed at least 70 per cent success. Never mind the small ground and short boundaries in Pune then, losing the toss and batting first augured well for them in the first ODI, as did putting 350 runs on the board.

“Going into the second half we weren’t thinking India were out of the game but at four down we’re thinking ‘We’re odds on here’. I think it hurts more because we had them 63 for 4. That’s what hurts the most. We were right into the middle order. Virat Kohli was still in but we had one end to bowl at,” said Eoin Morgan, after that stunning defeat with 11 balls to spare

‘Batting with Virat is easy’

Herein, add his words to those Kedar Jadhav spoke in Pune on Tuesday. “Batting with Virat is easy. The opposition tends to concentrate on him, and the bowlers don’t try and put pressure on you.” In summation, England’s only fault perhaps was they didn’t think too much of Jadhav or the remaining Indian batsmen.

But for the 1-0 scoreline, they can be forgiven for this indifference. After all, India are, or were, suffering from a confused middle-order syndrome, unaware if their batsmen would be able to stand up and support Kohli in a tall chase. That Jadhav, and to a large extent Hardik Pandya, helped their side cross the finish line is perhaps the first indicator that India might have a semblance of their Champions Trophy plans in shape.

Away from that tournament, in the current scheme of things, that Pune ODI also underlines India’s great strength in home (read sub-continental) conditions. Never mind its specific weaknesses as a unit at present, individually each of their batsmen are born and bred on pitches where slam-bang is the prevalent way in limited-overs cricket. Then there is the Indian Premier League, which has further heightened their sense of adventurism and confidence, so much so that no target seems unachievable.

“I used to play tennis ball cricket, and some of my shots came from there. There wasn’t much bounce in the pitch and I thought I could get elevation on those shots,” said Jadhav, explaining his approach to a 65-ball century.

“Two years ago, I went to Australia on an India A tour. I had pain in my hand, and later I found out it was a fracture. I realized if I could play well there with a broken hand, then I can achieve anything,” he added.

The Yuvraj and Dhawan problem

It formed the bedrock of Jadhav’s belief, and a springboard to success given an investment of time. As such the key element herein is the confidence that the team management has shown in the current set of players. It has allowed Jadhav, and Pandya, to find confidence and prosper in their respective roles. At the same time, it also puts the focus on the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan, who are not new to the set-up yet still enjoy similar backing.

Stretching back to 2013, Yuvraj Singh now has two half-centuries in his last 16 ODI innings. It equals an average of 19.60 in this interim, which is worrisome since he batted at No. 4 (his current batting spot) for 12 of these knocks. Yes, it may be a bit premature to judge him after only one game on his return after two years.

But there can be no denying that this is a short-term ploy aimed at the Champions Trophy. So, what happens if Singh does not get the requisite runs in these three ODIs? A short series does not allow him, or the selectors, any buffer of comfort. It is a similar case for Dhawan, albeit with a difference.

Since the 2015 World Cup, he averages a healthy 40.85 in 14 ODIs with 572 runs, inclusive of a hundred and five half-centuries. But there is a need of a closer inspection pertaining to live contests here. In this interim, Dhawan has scores of 75 (against Bangladesh), and 126 and 78 (against Australia) after those series had been lost. Take those runs out, and he is left with 293 runs in 11 ODIs at 26.63 with only three half-centuries to show for his efforts.

The question to ask here is if he has been playing for his spot in the playing eleven, once the series was a lost cause. It was a remark made by former English skipper Nasser Hussain on air during the first ODI, given his lack of confidence during a 10-ball stay at the crease, and Dhawan’s statistics invariably point towards the same. This short series, therefore, also puts his ODI future at stake, especially with Ajinkya Rahane waiting in the wings and Rohit Sharma expected to return for the Champions Trophy.

Time for England to shelve their spin plans

Going back to England though, there is a need to re-assess their bowling combination in lieu of conditions. Adil Rashid was spanked in Pune. Moeen Ali and part-timer Joe Root did not fare any better. And this was when there was not sign of much dew. Cuttack and Kolkata could be different in that sense.

The underlying point is, if England really do need two full-time spinners in their line-up. Can the combination of Ali and Root not do the requisite job allowing them to play an additional batsman or a fast bowler? It is not as if Rashid set the house on fire in the Test series either, when in fact, his graph went downwards after a good start in Rajkot and Visakhapatnam.

In light of India’s spectacular chase, England need to hedge their bets on scoring runs, even more than 350 if need be. They need to pick an extra batsman in Jonny Bairstow or Sam Billings, because if six bowlers (four pacers + one spinner + one part-timer) cannot do the job, seven will not either, as they found out in Pune.

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