5 Things India need to do to win ODI series in England

After the drubbing of Afghanistan, the next assignment for the Indian Cricket Team is England. India will go into the limited-overs leg of the series with the confidence of having succeeded there, back in 2014. Over the years, India has enjoyed a better limited-overs record in England. Even in 2014, when the test series finished 3-1 in England’s favor, India bounced back in the ODI series with some comprehensive displays. The Champions Trophy victory in 2013 is another example of the Indian team doing well in ‘white-ball cricket’ in England.

In the limited-overs format, the White ‘Kookabura’ ball is used. The ball can be swung prodigiously for a while, but it doesn’t last long. In the Tests, however, the ‘Duke’ ball is used which maintains its seam and shine for a considerable amount of time, hence making it conducive for swing bowling. This is one of the primary reasons why India and teams, in general, have found England a tough nut to crack in Tests.

However, India’s fortunes haven’t been that good in the Test arena. Apart from a series victory in 2007, they haven’t really been able to come up trumps against the English side in their backyard.

On the back of the IPL, the limited overs series is the perfect Launchpad for this team to catapult itself into the history books. As for players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, it is essential that they prove their doubters wrong by performing well in England.

Though the bigger challenge for India might be winning the Test series, the ODI series should be prioritized with the World Cup not far away. This series will also act as the perfect dress rehearsal for the World Cup. With the World Cup just a year away, India would like to emerge victorious against this English side and stamp their authority.

Here is a look at certain things that India needs to do in order to reign supreme on English soil. If these tactics are used efficiently, India might just be on their way to win their second consecutive ODI series in England.

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#1 Take early wickets

England will most probably open with Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. The two openers also complement each other perfectly. Roy prefers using his reach and playing balls on the front foot. His greatest asset is his ability to hit the ball straight. Bairstow, on the other hand, likes to hang back and play the pulls and the cuts with devastating efficiency. This adjustment of length does not allow the bowlers to strike a rhythm and even a slight error results in maximum punishment.

If India is to win the series, it needs to make early inroads into this English batting line-up. The sooner Joe Root and Eoin Morgan are exposed to the new ball, the better are India’s chances to contain England.

A failure in doing so would lead to England putting up a mammoth total or completing run chases comfortably on more occasions than India would want.

#2 Attack England with Spin

The last time the Indian team was on English shores, it had the formidable spin duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin weaving their magic. India has gone through a transitional phase recently, with respect to its spinners, replacing “finger-spin” with “wrist-spin”. This change has worked wonders as Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav have taken to limited overs cricket like ducks to water.

Critics alleged that Ashwin and Jadeja weren’t picking enough wickets in the middle overs to stem the run-flow. In Kuldeep and Chahal, Kohli has two wicket-takers who deliver the goods whenever they are called upon. Historically, England has been very poor at playing wrist-spin and it is imperative that India exploits this weakness. A major thrust of England’s late-overs’ charge is dependent on Jos Butler. However, if one looks at his exploits against spin, they inspire little confidence.

One of the key elements in the series would be the use of the spin twins Kuldeep and Chahal. Kohli should use them to pick wickets rather than asking them to “just keep the batsmen quiet”.

#3 Bat Dhoni higher up the order

Before the IPL started, there were a lot of questions being raised about Dhoni’s hitting ability. 2 months later, he had silenced all those critics. While it is a universally accepted fact that Dhoni is not the hitter he was a few years back, not many in the Indian team possess his ability to assess the game situation and play accordingly. As the years have gone by, ‘Dhoni- the Hitter’ has been replaced by ‘Dhoni, the Accumulator’.

Dhoni, batting up the order gives the team a lot of options. He is still one of India’s best players of spin and can read variations off the bowler’s hand. He also possesses the uncanny knack of knowing when to take the calculated risk. With him batting up the order, England will most probably use its best bowlers to get rid of him early. This will open the door for players like Hardik Pandya to go on his famed hitting spree in the death-overs.

Dhoni has a mind-boggling average at No.4 and No.5. With the World Cup just around the corner, this option needs to be explored, sooner rather than later. If this tactic comes off, India can boast of a middle order comprising of Kohli, Dhoni, and Rahul, which will surely spell trouble for even the most skillful of bowling attacks.

#4 Use Hardik Pandya as a floater

Hardik Pandya has improved by leaps and bounds since making his debut in 2016. Today, he represents India’s best pace-bowling all-rounder and an important member of the side. Blessed with the ability to go big right from the outset, Pandya has a huge role to play in England.

A substantial part of England’s middle overs would be bowled by Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali. It is situations like these, where the think-tank can take a gamble and promote Pandya up the order. The sole purpose of this move would be to put extra pressure on the spinners and disturb their line and length. Pandya is a fierce striker of spin bowling and his exploits against other leg-spinners would surely make Rashid nervous.

For India, the key would be to deny the spinners any wickets. In the ongoing England vs Australia series as well, the spinners have been picking up a major chunk of the wickets. If this attack of theirs is warded off, then India can put the England team under immense pressure.

#5 Attack England’s new ball bowlers

England’s new ball bowling attack comprises of Mark Wood and David Willey. While they are adept at handling the new ball, none of them possess terrifying pace or swing for the batsmen to be having nightmares.

Against Australia, Wood has made the odd breakthrough without actually making the desired impact. As for Willey, he is not very useful with the older ball. Hence, it is of utmost importance that India fights fire with fire and attacks them as soon as the game gets underway. Getting Ali and Rashid to bowl earlier than they would like, will throw a spanner in the English works.

Shikhar Dhawan’s role in this series is paramount. Out of the openers that India has, he has the required talent and gameplay to carry out this task with aplomb. If India can win the battle of the first ten overs, it would go a long way in winning the game.