India have a very good chance, or let’s say the best chance of winning the ODI series in England this year. Here are the 5 reasons that support the claim.
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The IPL is over and it is time for some International action. It was all about franchise cricket till a few weeks back and the buzz was about what Virat Kohli did for RCB and MS Dhoni did for CSK. But not anymore, now it’s all about India and India alone.
All the stellar players will now come together with the blue jersey on and would try to give their hundred percent for the nation. The fans got some taste of international cricket when India locked horns against Afghanistan in the one-off test between the two nations at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
However, it was hardly a competition as the game got over within 2 days with India comprehensively beating Afghanistan by an innings. Now is the time for some testing times in overseas conditions.
However, it will start softly and then snowball into something more competitive. India will begin its UK tour with the two match T20I series against Ireland to be played on the 27th and 29th of June. Once that is done, India would then move to England where the first T20I begins on the 3rd of July.
Also Read: Is the Yo-Yo Test valid?
After the three match T20I series, both teams will play against each other in a three match one day series. Here is why India have a very good chance of clinching the series:
England lack of an impact pacer
The English side may boast of it being a very good limited overs side but in spite of that, they lack an impact pacer. Many of them do not have express pace. The Curran brothers in Tom Curran and Sam Curran may have the ability to swing the ball around but they do not have the pace to unsettle the Indian batsman.
Same is the case with David Willey who can move the ball around but does not have the required pace. Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes are unfit and there is no certainty as to whether they would be able to make the ODI side.
This leaves us with two options which are Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood. These bowlers have pace but lack the variety and nip. Their high bowling averages speak for themselves.
High scoring games are an advantage for India
The current 5 match series between England and Australia has shocked people all around the globe. The ease with which 300 and 400 runs are being scored is really jaw-dropping .However, these high scoring games will turn out to be in favour of India as Indian batsmen are more than potent of both scoring these runs and changing them down.
Tthe likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya can decimate any bowling attack in the world. All the same, India has a good crop of bowlers this time which can restrict the opposition from doing the same.
England bereft of proper spinning options
In the spin bowling department, England have tried players like Liam Dawson, Dom Bess, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid. Moeen Ali is hardly an effective off spinner. Although he has a good record against India, he does not have the variations to trouble the Indian batsmen.
Adil Rashid on the other hand has bowled well against other teams but India have always taken him for plenty and he has failed to leave a mark. The last time England travelled to India, Rashid was dropped after the first match.
English conditions, nay, Indian
Gone are the days when England was associated with swing bowling. Especially, in the limited overs leg, the ball comes in a straight line and there is hardly any swing or sean on offer. The pitches are dead flat and are a graveyard for bowlers.
The ball comes on nicely to the bat for the batmen and they can play on the rise. This falls in line with the batting technique of players like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan who like playing on the rise. These players make room for themselves, clear their front leg and love to tonk the ball. The good news for them is that these conditions would allow them to play their natural game.
Resurgence of Dhoni
The resurgence of former Indian captain and veteran keeper MS Dhoni has been a great story. Before this year’s IPL began, many were saying that Dhoni’s career is almost over and he is no longer the player that he once used to be.
However, Dhoni showed one and all that he still has lot of cricket remaining in him. Dhoni could not only be an asset for the team as a keeper, as he hardly misses anything, he is a gifted batsman and would assume his role back as the finisher.
There is a school of thought that he may be sent up the order, say at number 5. This would also be a blessing for India as he would then hold the batting line up together and others could always play around him. The other partnership that fans would be eager to watch is that of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. If the two spend long stretches of time at the crease together, then no score is big enough.
