5 reasons why England could become the next ODI powerhouse

Rising from the ashes like a phoenix is a metaphor that sounds good on paper but takes some really tough measures to emulate in sport. It is easy to get into a rut and keep losing. It is easy to press panic mode and make the wrong changes and worsen things.England was in freefall by the end of the 2015 World Cup, losing all four games they played against test playing nations, including a crucial one against Bangladesh. It was easy to drop Eoin Morgan, who had a horrendous run until then and go back to square one.Interestingly, England went the other way, holding out a longer rope for Morgan and then creating a team mirroring his style of play – aggressive, high-risk high-dividend game – bringing in fresh blood and following a go-for-broke mantra.The policy immediately worked, as England won the ODI series at home against World Cup runners-up New Zealand in spectacular fashion. Things have been lovely for England since then and we take a look at their journey and why they could realistically aim for silverware, in a year or so.

#1 Good results against ODI powerhouses

England have shown that they can go toe-to-toe with the best ODI sides

England haven’t disappointed since the formation of the new look team at the closure of the World Cup. They have won 8 games and lost 6 in three ODI series against quality ODI teams like New Zealand, Australia and Pakistan, the former two being the World Cup finalists.

The last series win against Pakistan came in the UAE, Pakistan’s stronghold and virtual home in the last few years. England have achieved all this with a largely young side that is still evolving and settling down and that augurs well, once the management finds the right core to revolve around the skipper Eoin Morgan.

Morgan himself showed refreshing and resplendent form against all three teams, always featuring amongst the runs. England has shown a fearless style of cricket, a paradigm shift from their conservative approach that has held them back in short formats for a very long time. Now with the right bowlers and the right power-hitters, England can take on the best in their own den.

#2 Discovery of power-hitting batsmen

Buttler is capable of providing a final flourish towards the end of the innings

Against Pakistan, Jos Buttler scored 177 runs at 88.5 with a strike-rate of 155, on the back of one blistering match-winning century. Buttler had also scored 183 runs against New Zeleand at 61 and a strike-rate of 147, before being dropped briefly for poor form during Ashes.

England have some capable firepower at the top of the order with both Jason Roy and Alex Hales scoring runs consistently. Hales had a bad series against Australia after some good knocks against New Zealand but he came good in UAE with 171 runs at 42.75 at a strike-rate of nearly 85.

Roy was in roaring form too with a century and a half-century and a strike-rate close to 90. Between Roy and Hales at the top and Morgan and Buttler in the lower middle order, England could feel secure when it comes to power-hitting in ODIs, a luxury they’ve rarely had in the past. There is also Jonny Bairstow waiting in the wings.

#3 A strong middle order led by the skipper

Leading from the front

England has found a core that is extremely reliable. Both Joe Root and James Taylor are still early into their careers but are already showing maturity and skill, ensuring that they are capable of either strengthening the platform laid by the openers or consolidating in case of bad starts before the power-hitters at the bottom are unleashed. Both scored close to 150 runs in the recent ODI series against Pakistan with two half-centuries each.

Taylor had grabbed the opportunity in Root’s absence during the home series against Australia, becoming England’s second most prolific scorer with 246 runs at 49. Morgan has scored 322 at 64.4 against New Zealand, 278 at 69.50 against Australia and 154 at 38.5 against Pakistan enjoying a purple patch since the World Cup ended.

Morgan scores his runs nearly at run a ball batting at a pivotal position – a link between solid batsmen in the middle order and power hitters lower down and capable of switching gears himself depending on the situation. It helps that he is nerveless during chases.

#4 Variety in bowling

England's spin twins have given the side some much-needed balance

England have a fine combination of pace and spin. It helps that both the spinners at their disposal, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are handy with the bat too, down the order, playing important knocks. However, with their combination of off-spin and leg-spin, they offer England a chance to attack or defend based on the situation, on any kind of pitch, as proven in UAE as well as in the batsman friendly series against New Zealand.

England haven’t had this strength in a long time although Swann shone for them for a while. Ali is slotting in nicely without affecting the batting might and Rashid has been a breath of fresh air in English cricket. With 19 wickets in the three series, Rashid has proved his value to the team.

England have also been well-served by bowlers like Chris Woakes, David Willey and Reece Topley, all of who had a sub-30 average against Pakistan, with Woakes coming back to form. Although Ben Stokes didn’t play in the Pakistan series, the all-rounder capable of bowling at 140kph and an Ashes hero, will be part of England’s plans for the future.

Woakes, Willey, Topley, Plunkett and Stokes are all seam-up bowlers capable of bowling under pressure and are gaining valuable experience as England searches for its core unit for big tournaments.

#5 Their ability to bounce back under pressure

The current England ODI side has shown plenty of resolve and character

This new-look England team has found the admirable quality of bouncing back from tough situations. Against New Zealand, England were 1-2 down before winning the last two ODIs to take the series, including a record chase of 350 in the 4th ODI. Against Australia, England lost the first two ODIs before winning the next two to keep the series alive, including chasing down 300. Against Pakistan, England lost the first ODI before winning the remaining three in a row.

Each time, England has managed to go against the flow, find the momentum and keep themselves relevant in the series – the quality of a champion side that doesn’t give up easily. For long, England have been easy to dominate but not this new-look side.

One of the main troubles that England faced in the past was its inability to score big, let alone chasing big scores. But the trend is now changing thanks to its power-hitters and solid batting order. England is not only good at defending scores but has actually entered the elite club of teams that can score big often.

Against Pakistan England scored 283 and 355 in the 2nd and 4th ODI batting first, while Pakistan’s highest score of the series was 271. England crossed the 400 barrier on a flat pitch against New Zealand and chased down 350 in just 44 overs, something that was unthinkable a year ago, no matter what the power-play rules or the pitch conditions were.

But England’s best demonstration came against Australia when they chased down 300, something Australia couldn’t do earlier in the series. England had also managed to post 300 in the third ODI of the series and dismissed Australia for 207.

Big scores give the bowlers a lot of confidence, knowing that their batsmen will score whatever is needed if batting second. While batting first, England batsmen have largely managed to do well and give the inexperienced bowling line-up the cushion needed.