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

India began their tour of England with a thumping 2-1 victory in the T20I series. India carried on their momentum to the first ODI and knocked out the hosts to the mat with the help of Kuldeep Yadav. With a 1-0 lead, many relied on India to complete a rare ODI whitewash in England. However, the hosts fought back vigorously in the remaining two ODIs and won the series 2-1 in style. With that, India had lost their first bilateral ODI series under the captaincy of Virat Kohli.

Though India had two quality wrist-spinners on their side, England finished the job with the help of just a single wrist-spinner. Adil Rashid had a fantastic series and claimed a Man of the Match award in the final ODI. Both teams had their fair share of highs and lows throughout the series.

With both teams winning a series each, the all-important test series awaits us. Before that, let us look at the five things we learned from the ODI series.

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#5 England players can play spin

The spin duo was safely negated by the English batsmen in the final two games

Even before India’s tour of England began, a large number of people raised doubts about the English player’s technique against quality wrist-spin bowling. As judged by the experts, the duo of Kuldeep and Chahal created a web around the English batsmen in the very first T20I. As expected, England came back stronger in the second T20I with the help of ‘Merlyn.’ However, Rohit Sharma’s brilliance in the final T20I series sealed the series for the visitors.

England once again succumbed to the spin duo in the first ODI. In particular, the England batsmen looked clueless against the variations of Kuldeep. However, as the series progressed, England seemed more comfortable against the threat offered by the spin duo. In particular, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan negated the spin threat well. In the final two ODIs, their partnerships played a significant role in the England victory.

#4 Ben Stokes horror form continues

Ben Stokes was poor in the entire series

Ever since his comeback to the national side, Stokes looked out-of-touch in all the aspects of the game. To begin with, he had a forgettable IPL 2018. His injury during the recently concluded Australian series made things even worse. His injury paved the way for Morgan to try Hales in the middle-order. Hales was brilliant in that ODI series against Australia. He came back into the side for this series though, with Hales ruled out with a side strain.

Though Stokes had a poor outing against India in the final T20I, he was expected to perform better in the ODI series. However, his horror form continues throughout the ODI series. In the first ODI, he lacked timing and placement. He compiled a painful knock of 50 runs from 103 deliveries. In the second match, he was dismissed cheaply for just five runs. In the final game, his batting services were not required. With the ball, he looked rusty and expensive throughout the series without a single wicket to his name.

#3 Depleted Indian bowling reserves

Kaul went wicket-less in the entire ODI series

Bumrah’s injury created a big vacancy before the start of the ODI series. Besides, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s untimely injury ahead of the first ODI opened up one more slot in the playing XI. With two big names missing out, it was the right time for the players on the bench to display their talents and push for their selection in India’s World Cup squad.

Though Umesh Yadav picked up three wickets from two games, he was slightly expensive and lacked consistency throughout the series. Siddarth Kaul had a forgettable series with no wickets to show against his name. Shardul Thakur picked up a single wicket in the only match he played. Hardik Pandya completed his full quota of 10 overs only once.

India’s trust in Pandya as a bowler had utterly backfired in the series. Besides, the weaknesses of India’s fast bowling reserves were exposed. In short, the series provided a glimpse of what could happen if both Bumrah and Bhuvi are injured ahead of the 2019 World Cup.

#2 Joe Root answered his critics in style

Joe Root now holds the record for most number of ODI 100s for England

Joe Root’s unexpected snub in the third T20I against India created much buzz in the English media. All of a sudden, his limited-overs career came under scrutiny. Despite being a good player of spin, his technique against spin was questioned. Moreover, his dismissal against Kuldeep in the first ODI created much more debate on his position in the ODI setup.

Despite all these buzzes and debates, Root remained calm throughout the series and showed the world what he is capable of with two scintillating knocks in the remaining two ODIs. He scored two back-to-back match-winning centuries in the final two games. He read the variations of both the wrist spinners well and looked comfortable throughout his stay. The snub in the T20I series must have reignited the fire in Root and motivated him further to perform well in 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.