5 England players India should be wary of in the T20I series

Ever since their debacle in the 2015 World Cup, England have completely overhauled their approach to limited-overs cricket and over the last three years, have become one of the most ruthless teams in world cricket.

The biggest difference from the England teams of yesteryear and the present team is the sheer riches in the batting department. The batsmen have unleashed terrifying mayhem on bowling attacks all around the world and have racked up huge scores with alarming regularity.

In the T20I series against India, they will come up against a side which has evolved over the past year and now possesses one of the most potent bowling attacks in the world. However, when playing England away from home, India would need to be at their very best if they are to win the three-match series and would need to have plans for some of the more damaging English players.

Here is a look at 5 England players against whom India would need to have specific plans if they are to walk away with the series.

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#5 Adil Rashid

The wrist spinner has increasingly become a key aspect of almost all successful limited-overs bowling attacks, and in case of England, that role is performed by all-rounder Adil Rashid.

The leg-spinner has been in excellent bowling form in the recent series against Australia and will be one of the most important members of the England bowling attack in the upcoming series.

He was the joint highest wicket-taker for England in the ODI series against Australia, with a haul of 12 wickets and he would want to carry on in the same vein against India. India need to have definite plans in place to counter him and needless to say, the Indian batting line-up will be a challenge for Rashid as well.

It is going to be a fascinating battle and one that could have a huge bearing on the ultimate result in the series.

#4 Eoin Morgan

England's captain has been a rock in the middle-order and Eoin Morgan’s prowess against spin bowling would be particularly important, when they take on India in the T20 series at home. He has the technique and the temperament to take on most bowling attacks in the world, which is why the Indian team should have plans in place to stop him from running amok.

In the ODI series against the Australians, he may have averaged 37.75 but he recorded a strike rate of 126.89 and that is where the threat lies. Moreover, Morgan’s 30-ball 67 (3 fours, 6 sixes) in the 3rd ODI in which England made a record 481 was an exhibition of power-hitting and the Indian bowlers should have specific plans to counter him when the T20 series begins.

#3 Jason Roy

The England opening batsman has been in absolutely scorching form recently and put the Australian attack to the sword in the recently concluded ODI series at home. Jason Roy’s assault on the Australian bowlers at the top of the order was one of the big reasons for the sort of totals that England brought up in the series and he did so consistently.

The right-hander made 2 centuries and a fifty in 5 games to top the batting charts in the series with a total of 304 runs. He averaged 60.80 and recorded a strike rate of 118.28. India must have a plan in place for him and perhaps the answer lies in Roy’s performance in the IPL, in which he struggled to get going whenever faced with spinners during the Powerplay.

In Yuzvendra Chahal, India has a bowler who thrives in such situations and it could well be the best way of tackling the considerable threat posed by the England opener.

#2 Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow has been one of the top performers in ODI cricket this year and much of it has to do with his elevation to the opener’s slot. In 16 ODI games, this year, he has slammed 4 centuries and 2 fifties, with a strike rate of 119.66 and an average of 54.

Those are serious numbers and if India are to get anywhere in the T20 series, then they would need to control the carnage that he unleashes at the top of the order these days.

In the recent ODI series against Australia, he averaged 60 and struck at 133.33, which is a clear indication of the sort of batting form he is in.

However, India’s opening bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar could just be the sort of bowler who could prove to be his antidote. Bairstow has often exhibited a weakness against the moving ball and Kumar’s opening spell against him could well prove to be a match-deciding encounter.

#1 Jos Buttler

He is currently among the best limited-overs batsmen in the world and Jos Buttler’s stupendous show in the recent past makes him the biggest threat for India in the upcoming T20 series. His show in the IPL, when he scored 5 half-centuries on the trot at the opener’s slot has also opened up a debate in England as to whether he should be sent higher up the order and if that comes to pass, then Buttler becomes even more of a threat.

His uncomplicated power-hitting and the newfound ability to do that under pressure has made him the world’s leading wicketkeeper-batsman. The way he anchored the chase with the tail in the last ODI against Australia is a clear indication of the sort of damage he can unleash.

Considering the sort of form Buttler is in, it is likely that it will be quite impossible to keep him quiet and the best India could do is to limit the damage.