England Facing Ultimate Challenge Against India
India’s win over England in the opening T20 match of their series could give the home side a worrying glimpse into the future of the rest of their contests this summer. The two teams face off in all three formats of the game, which concludes with a five-match Test series.
However, if the summer follows the trend of the opening match of the tour, then England could see themselves on the end of three defeats in each individual series.
Kuldeep Yadav’s spin put the Three Lions in all sorts of trouble as they struggled to play the turning ball. Jos Buttler was able to score a fifty, but he was the only batsman from Eoin Morgan’s side to look comfortable at the crease. England posted a mediocre score that Lokesh Rahul chased down with ease, scoring a century off just 53 deliveries, to guide his team to victory.
The concern for the hosts is that the hot summer has produced
England’s worries are founded in their struggles against India on their last tour of the country at the end of 2016. Alastair Cook and his side were hammered as Virat Kohli and his team put them to the sword with relative ease. The manner of the defeat paved the way for Cook’s exit as captain of the Test match team, with Joe Root assuming the responsibility. Root already has a heavy loss in the Ashes on his CV last winter, while his side
The rise of England’s one-day side since their humiliating exit at the 2015 World Cup has been sensational. Morgan’s men have established themselves as the leading team in the 50-over format, taking the crown from India. However, they failed to seal the deal in the ICC Champions Trophy, falling to defeat against Pakistan in the semi-final, who when defeated Kohli’s men in the final. The one criticism of England’s play since their resurgence has been their ability to play the moving ball. Their batting line-up has proven to be arguably the most formidable in the game. Morgan’s side
The spin of Yadav caused them problems in their opening T20 contest as Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Root and Morgan were all deceived by his leg-spin. Seaming conditions have also played a role in England’s high-profile losses as Hasan Ali was the architect of their downfall against Pakistan. Another defeat due to the moving ball would damage England’s claim to be the
The Test series is arguably more important for England. Their form in the five-day format has taken a nosedive under the tenure of Trevor Bayliss in stark contrast to their 50-over game. The Three Lions’ home form has been their saving grace, although Pakistan put them under severe pressure to maintain their unbeaten record since 2014. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were England’s downfall in India and could well expose them once again. A defeat on home soil for Root would put his captaincy under the spotlight, while Bayliss’ position would be close to untenable in the Test arena. The summer will be a defining one for the Three Lions in their position in world cricket.
