3 English batsmen Mumbai Indians should consider for next year's IPL

If you followed the recently concluded ODI series between England and Australia, one thing that you would have noticed is that England have definitely adopted a much more ruthless and aggressive approach to their cricket. This is a massive change to the way in which England have traditionally played their limited overs cricket and may signal a new dawn for the sport in England.

The series will be remembered for the record-breaking total set by England - 481/6 - something which should signal just how far English cricket has come. Being attacking with the bat was something England never quite placed a lot of emphasis on and the manner in which the batsmen went about their business during the series against Australia highlights just how significantly they have changed the way they play their cricket.

There are a lot of English players who performed exceptionally well during this series and each win was not restricted to the performance of one specific individual. There are a lot of different players who have made the world take notice of them and this bodes well for the ICC Cricket World Cup which will be taking place next year.

This also bodes well for their IPL prospects. England showed that they have players who can hit the ball a long way and who can be destructive during the death overs. This has been a characteristic which has eluded English sides of the past and which has often been a contributing factor for them doing poorly during ICC events or other international series.

Many of the English batsmen showed their skills and ability to be destructive when the need arose and have made a strong case for being picked up at next year's IPL auction. This article will look at 3 English players the Mumbai Indians should consider for next year's IPL, to turn their fortunes around:

#1 Eoin Morgan

Eoin Morgan needs no introduction when it comes to the cricketing world. Known for his hard-hitting ability and aggressive style, the Mumbai Indians may well benefit from Morgan's ability to take the game away from the opposition.

It is not merely his ability to hit the ball to all sides of the cricket ground that makes him such a key player. Morgan does have experience in the IPL as well as leadership experience with his national side. This is something which the Mumbai Indians clearly seemed to be lacking whenever their middle order was out to bat without any senior player being present at the crease. The batsmen didn't seem to know how to pace the chase when it came to the final few overs and a batsman such as Morgan can really help to control the innings during the latter stages.

He is a decent player of spin and has the ability to find the gaps and keep the scoreboard ticking. This is a trait which the Mumbai Indians would find very attractive which might just make Morgan a man they would want to consider in their plans for next year's tournament.

Morgan had a wonderful series against Australia and highlighted his ability to score runs quickly. His performance this series should remind the world of what a destructive batsman he still is and how he can take the game away from the opposition.

#2 Alex Hales

Alex Hales was fading into the background until his Man of the Match performance during the third ODI against Australia at Trent Bridge reminded the world of just what a destructive batsman he is.

Hales hit 147 off 92 balls as England posted a record 481-6 and this highlighted his ability to score runs and smash bowlers all over the park. He looks very comfortable batting up the order and this is something which the Mumbai Indians could derive a lot of value from.

Hales has matured greatly as a player and is much more than a power hitter who scores quickly. He has learned how to restrain himself when required and when to accelerate the pace of the innings - something which has taken his game to the next level. The series against Australia was a reminder of Hales' talent as a cricketer and he would be a valuable addition to the Mumbai Indians' squad.

His ability to read the game and pace his innings accordingly will be a trait which the Mumbai Indians will find particularly attractive. This was a feature that was absent in their batting during this year's IPL, and Hales could be the right man to address this issue.

#3 Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow made quite an impact during the ODI series against Australia and seems to have cemented his place in England's ODI squad. The young man is in prolific form with the bat and this has seen him replace Alex Hales as Jason Roy's opening partner.

Bairstow was considered to be more of a Test cricketer than someone who could feature regularly in the limited overs format. His performances with the bat during the series against Australia prove that he is a more than capable batsman in the limited overs format, and his destructive hitting suggests that he can be a more than able T20 player.

The Mumbai Indians would benefit greatly from adding Bairstow to their squad. He is a consistent player at the top of the batting order and has shown that he has the ability to control and pace his innings during run chases. This is an area in which the Mumbai Indians seemed to be lacking during this year's IPL.

He also brings a sense of control and calmness to the crease. Other batsmen are able to bat around him and this ensures that the scoreboard keeps ticking even if the team is under pressure early on. He also has the ability to find the gaps in the field without taking too many risks, which is something that has contributed greatly to his consistency with the bat.

He can also keep wicket for the franchise, which would allow them to select another specialist batsman and further strengthen their batting lineup. It also allows them the opportunity to play an additional all-rounder. Having Bairstow as part of their squad is clearly something which would open up a lot of opportunities for the Mumbai Indians.