Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

CWC 2019 – England v India: 5 key talking points. ENG vs IND: 5 key talking points from their 2019 World Cup match

The blockbuster June 30 match had plenty at stake.

England, pre-tournament favourites, found themselves outside the top four heading into their second-last game. Things were getting a little desperate among former players, pundits and fans as the unthinkable possibility of missing out on the semi finals was a realistic proposition after defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia.

However, India weren’t up to the mark for much of the day, with England outplaying the new world number one side to take a significant step towards the Semi Finals.

Below are five key talking points from England’s 31-run win.

Also read: Will India end Bangladesh’s hopes of a Semi Finals appearance?

1. Jonny Bairstow reflective of England’s mood

England were greeted to a good batting wicket. The kind Jonny Bairstow mentioned ahead of the game. His partner in crime, Jason Roy, was back barely two weeks after tearing his hamstring. The scene was set for England after winning the toss, and it was time to execute under pressure.

Jason Roy helped Bairstow early, after the latter had a nervous start. Edges were theme of Bairstow’s batting, which required intent from the other end to give England the start they needed. Roy helped pushed India right onto the back-foot, leaving Virat Kohli needing to bank on his spinners to make inroads. Once Bairstow was settled, he was in no mood to let up, smashing six sixes – all off India’s spinners, targeting the short boundary.

By halfway, Bairstow had his century off just 90 balls in his most significant innings of CWC 2019. He would be first to admit that his tournament before this game was a little underwhelming compared to expectations, but he stepped up when his side really needed it. For a while, 400 looked on the cards, but even once Bairstow was dismissed, England were always playing from in front.

Also read: Is Mitchell Starc one of the all-time great ODI bowlers?

2. How good is Ben Stokes going?

England’s batting lineup was topic of conversation ahead of the World Cup. Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan as the top four, and who could not mention the dynamic Jos Buttler?

However, it has been Ben Stokes who has really stood out for England in CWC 2019. While the rest crumbled against Sri Lanka and Australia, Ben Stokes held firm, nearly taking England home against Sri Lanka and then victim of an amazing Mitchell Starc yorker.

In this game, he had his reward. He had the platform to play off, striking the ball beautifully to all parts en route to 79 off 54 balls. His batting stats now in CWC 2019 read: 370 runs at 61.66 with a strike rate of 98.93. Brilliant.

Also read: What on EARTH was Gulbadin Naib thinking?

3. India’s lack of intent

It can be easy for rival fans to accuse India of not showing sportsmanship. Waqar Younis’ comments is a major talking point right now. However, apart from Australia and Pakistan, can we say India have batted without total fluency for much of the tournament to date?

The loss of Shikhar Dhawan has proven to be a big blow. However, the start by Rohit Sharma in particular lacked intent, with a total of 43 dots in the opening 10 overs seeing India sit on 28/1. Chris Woakes, who conceded 58, bowled three consecutive maidens to start. Rohit, after the game, said India had to be cautious after an early wicket. But, there is cautious and then there is putting your side under further pressure.

Then, as India accelerated in the middle overs, powered by Rohit’s century and Kohli’s brilliance, they gave themselves a sniff. However, the middle order yet again struggled for fluency, with MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav hitting just 18 runs in boundaries in the final five overs along with 20 singles.

A lot of credit should go to England. They bowled with discipline, mixing their pace up beautifully to keep India on high alert. Liam Plunkett’s inclusion was a fine selection decision. Indeed, opposition teams can catch up significantly against India’s middle order that is not quite firing. Sure, the asking rate was very high heading into the final 10 overs, but the fluency in India’s middle order hasn’t been on display too often in CWC 2019. In the end, they finished 31 short with five wickets in hand.

Also read: Will India end Bangladesh’s hopes of a Semi Finals appearance?

4. The enigma that is KL Rahul

KL Rahul forced his way into the number four spot on the back of runs in the warm-up match against Bangladesh. The injury to Shikhar Dhawan then gave him the opportunity to bat in his preferred position as opener. Could he make it his own?

He has tried to. But, he is trying too hard. Too conservative. Too concerned about not taking his opportunity. His innings yesterday, where even short, wide deliveries from Chris Woakes were barely going off the square, showed a player struggling for form. @mainlycricket, in his article, wrote about the need for KL Rahul to rotate the strike better against pace bowling. The stats are telling.

Now, India have brought in Mayank Agarwal to replace the injured Vijay Shankar. Agarwal could slot in to open by the time the final group stage game comes around, pushing Rahul to four. However, wherever KL bats, India need his best, and he has an opportunity to find form against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

Also read: What on EARTH was Gulbadin Naib thinking?

5. Jasprit Bumrah magnificent. The wristspinners not so much

How good is Jasprit Bumrah?

Mohammed Shami finished with five wickets, but it was Bumrah who stole the show with some outstanding death bowling. With Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes looking to go huge in the death overs, Bumrah kept India in the game, conceding just 26 in his final five overs to further enhance his status as the best all-format bowler on the planet.

However, India’s spinners had a tough day. Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal are considered a dangerous combination. After what they have showed in recent years, there is certainly testament to that statement.

Kuldeep Yadav’s form, though, has been a worry. He did not have a good IPL 2019 campaign, and his lack of wickets in CWC 2019 has put more pressure on the others to pick up the scalps. Chahal, who has been quite good in recent times, went for 88. India needed Kuldeep to deliver his best, but the short boundaries and flat track were too much to handle.

So, where do India go from here? When Bhuvneshwar Kumar is fit, do India consider going in with three frontline seamers and just the one wristspinner? Sure, conditions might dictate which direction they go in, but it is certainly food for thought.

Thanks for reading!