It has almost become a routine now for the Indian team to win the T20I bilateral series. They keep winning series for fun. India extended their dominance over England winning all the four bilateral T20I series. This series featured India’s frontline players except for KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav. India won both the games comprehensively while narrowly going down in the third. There are a lot of positives for the team to draw from this series.
We look at 5 positives for IND in the T20I Series Against ENG:
#5 Newcomers make a mark
Deepak Hooda has carried over his sensational IPL form. He first notched a hundred against Ireland. Hooda followed it up with a breezy 30+ in the first T20I. He has provided ample evidence of his free-flowing game against quality opponents too. Hooda is one of the contenders for the middle-order spot.
Arshdeep Singh showed his class in just a single international T20I. He swung the ball with aplomb. Singh returned to showcase his skills at the death. His left-arm pace will surely attract attention when the squad for World Cup gets picked.
#4 Wrist-spin continues to be India’s best T20I option
In all three games, it was India’s wrist spinners who tied down the batsmen in the middle overs. The size of the ground notwithstanding, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravi Bishnoi bowled bravely. They had the better of most batsmen in the series. It was against their guile that England couldn’t really target the middle overs. The wrist spin option will be of tremendous advantage in Australian grounds that have traditionally aided wrist spin.
#3 The lookout for the third seamer
India’s two frontline seamers more or less pick themselves for the World Cup. But the pertinent question is about the third seamer who would partner them in Australia. Harshal Patel and Avesh Khan have put their best feet forward. Patel remains one of the major strike bowlers in the middle and the end overs. Khan is a force right throughout the innings. India has plenty of options when it comes to choosing a third seamer. Arshdeep Singh is another fine entrant to the club.
#2 The Bhuvi – Bumrah show
India looks like a different team when their strike bowlers deliver. Bhuvneshwar Kumar won his third player of the series award in T20Is. He was the main difference between both sides as he delivered crucial blows in the powerplay. Jasprit Bumrah complemented him beautifully in the second T20I picking up key wickets. In Kumar and Bumrah, India has 8 overs of bank wherein they can damage any opposition.
#1 The show of ‘Intent’
It has been the need of the hour especially post the T20 World Cup 2021. India has certainly been on a roll since. They go hardest among all teams in the powerplay. But a fact that stood out in this series was that India kept going even post the powerplay. They notched scores of 170+ on all three occasions.
Their intent to play positive cricket was amplified in the third T20I when they notched up almost 200 despite scoring just 34 in the powerplay. India looks like a solid force to reckon with. It is largely owing to their newfound approach or what one can term ‘mojo’.
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