Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
In two games that will give the current Zimbabwe v Pakistan series a run for its money in terms of being one-sided, we saw the very good and very bad of both teams.
Will the third ODI balance itself out, and satisfy our craving for a close, enthralling game of cricket?
One can only hope.
In saying that, the first ODI had a silver lining to it. We were all interested to see how England would bounce back after a first ODI performance that was not pretty. In fact, Rohit Sharma’s shot to get out in the second ODI was prettier. But, bounce back they did, and now we are set for a decider with England’s bowlers, in addition to the batsmen, sending a strong message a year out from the Cricket World Cup.
Now, it’s India’s turn to bounce back. Their performance at Lord’s was one of their worst in recent times, falling short of everything they typically aspire towards. Their death bowling left a lot to be desired, with the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah truly felt all throughout India. They will have to improve significantly, but you can count on England being good again, which should make this one an absolute beauty.
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| Nice guy Siddarth Kaul! |
The biggest series of the tour so far has reached this point. Who will blink first in the decider?
Key to an England win
England gifted Kuldeep Yadav three wickets at Lord’s, but their approach was just about spot on. They knew they could get runs off the other bowlers, and that they did, consigning India to deep thoughts about just how they can improve in both the powerplay and death overs.
111 runs were scored off India’s wristspinners at Lord’s, which was a big win for England. One thing they would like to do better here is force Virat Kohli into wondering where else the wickets will come from. If England win the middle overs period, they can take advantage at the death, especially if Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still out with back trouble.
Also, England’s bowlers simply dominated India’s batsmen at Lord’s. Liam Plunkett and David Willey, combining with Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid put on a very good exhibition, and exposed India’s questionable middle order. They kept the Indians on their toes, and the same is required at Leeds.
Key to an India win
Bhuvneshwar Kumar replacing Siddarth Kaul would be like replacing your old Datsun for a new BMW. Or your old TV for
two for the price of one thanks to Amazon. Whether Bhuvneshwar Kumar plays will be key to India’s chances – but then again, will he be underdone? Will he be required to do too much?
India’s spinners, especially Kuldeep Yadav, would like to be a little more economical this time around. Subtle variations on that in-between length on a straight line will continue to test the Indians, and if this can come off the back of good powerplay overs by India’s seamers, it could set them up beautifully for a series win.
Also, what happened to India with the bat at Lord’s? It was very uncharacteristic of a usually very good batting side. The key at Leeds would be to get more output from at least two out of the top four, to provide a strong platform for the middle order (which has its issues) to launch effectively. Whether KL Rahul and Suresh Raina get the nod will be interesting to see.
Possible teams
England put on a very good show at Lord’s and you would expect that they stick with the same XI. One player they would love more from is Ben Stokes. Can he stand up in the decider?
England possible XI: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jonny Bairstow, 3. Joe Root, 4. Eoin Morgan (c), 5. Ben Stokes, 6. Jos Buttler (wk), 7. Moeen Ali, 8. David Willey, 9. Adil Rashid, 10. Liam Plunkett, 11. Mark Wood
India aren’t quite as settled. Virat Kohli had to come out in defence of MS Dhoni, KL Rahul isn’t nailing down his ODI position, and Suresh Raina could make way for Dinesh Karthik. Also, if Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns, he’ll come in for the knuckle ball king Siddarth Kaul.
India possible XI: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Rohit Sharma, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4 KL Rahul, 5. Dinesh Karthik/Suresh Raina, 6. MS Dhoni (wk), 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Siddarth Kaul, 9. Umesh Yadav, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Stats and Facts
- The last ODI bilateral series England lost (excluding one off match v Scotland) was against India in January 2017. They have won seven straight since then.
- If India win this clash, it will be their tenth straight bilateral ODI series triumph.
- MS Dhoni became the only player to score 10,000 ODI runs with an average of 50+.
- Joe Root is one century away from being England’s all-time top ODI century maker (currently 12).
- KL Rahul’s last eight innings in ODIs: 8, 5, 11, 4, 17, 7, 9*, 0
Prediction
Hoping the two one-sided games balance out and this one is an absolute thriller.
I back India’s top order to have a much better outing and set things up nicely. Of course, plenty depends on the availability of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. I think England will be very hard to beat, but if Kumar plays, India could have enough in them to take the series 2-1.
Here’s to a great game. Thanks for reading!
