England vs India 2018: Five things we learnt from the ODI series

#1 Middle-order woes continue for India

Rahul had a contrasting ODI series and was dropped in the final ODI

Ever since Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan cemented their spots in the playing XI along with Virat Kohli, India’s results in the limited overs format for the past few years had entirely rested on these three batsmen. If the opposition can send back these three batsmen quickly to the pavilion, then there is a substantial chance for the opponent to smell a victory. Mohammed Amir’s performance in the 2017 Champions Trophy Final is an excellent testament to this claim.

Even if one of the three stayed in the crease for a long time, then it will be tough for the opposition. These three batsmen often covered the never-ending no.4 conundrum and other middle-order woes. The first ODI against England is an excellent example as Rohit and Kohli ensured a comfortable run chase.

Failures of these three batsmen in the last two ODIs exposed the middle-order woes once again. MS Dhoni looked like a ‘fish out of water’ in the entire series. His form in the IPL 2018 seemed like a long time ago. Rahul failed to nail his spot in the playing XI. Dinesh Karthik had only one game in the entire tour so far, and it would be very harsh to judge him based on his one-off performance. Raina and Pandya too failed to deliver in the series.

Looking ahead, India must fix their middle-order woes soon and persist with the same setup of the batting order in the upcoming games building up to the World Cup.