India vs England: ODIs, with an eye on the T20 World Cup

Kohli questions need for an ODI series in this T20 World Cup year, but sees it as an opportunity for new players to get noticed.

Virat Kohli and Eoin Morgan’s men might find it difficult to bring the same get-up-and-get-going spirit in the upcoming ODI series starting Tuesday and that’s not just because of the empty stands that will greet them in Pune.

India and England will lock horns in the first ODI in Pune on Tuesday (BCCI)

To call the series mistimed would be reasonable. These are the only three ODI’s India will play this year. The IPL is a little over a fortnight away, followed in reasonably quick succession by the World Test Championship final in June and the T20 World Cup at home in October. Then there’s another World T20 to be played next year. The ODI world cup is still two years away. Even the ICC Super League gives a little context to this series as India, being the hosts, are confirmed for the 2023 ODI World Cup. However, R180 crores of broadcast money is riding on the three games and so the two highest ranked ODI sides shall face off. Kohli made no bones that he was not happy with the scheduling.

“It’s a difficult one. Scheduling is something that is not in our control…It’s important to consider how much cricket you are playing,” said Kohli in his pre-series press talk. “It’s not just the physical side of things but mental side of things as well. Players need to be spoken to and consulted all around otherwise it’s going to be a case (of) whoever can last through difficult times like this. Players move away and someone else replaces that player, I don’t think that’s healthy for a cricket system and the cricket culture moving forward.”

Morgan, on the other hand, was happy counting the positives the series may offer. Of “knowing more about his players in Indian conditions” and offering opportunities to players on the fringes of selection. “When you are a top ranked team taking on the other top ranked team, there is always a lot at stake,” said Morgan.

Scheduling aside, Kohli was also keen to know how some new additions “go about executing their skills against a very strong England side, and, of a “couple of things internally discussed to keep an eye on” for the T20 World Cup.

One of the new names is Karnataka and KKR seamer Prasidh Krishna, who clocks in the 140s on the speed gun and has earned his first national call-up. Both Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav are vying for middle order berths. And although Iyer has done little wrong--scoring 597 runs and averaging 46 in 15 ODI games after the 2019 WC and playing one of the finest knocks of his career last week in the 4th T20--he will still be mindful of making the most of every opportunity to cement his place for the world cup.

KL Rahul, who was dropped in the last T20I after a string of low-to-no scores, also has a point to prove. He batted in the ODI middle-order last year, while doubling up as a wicket keeper. With Rishab Pant back in the white ball mix, the team is left to make some tricky selection calls. Kohli answered the Rahul question with a typically combative stance.

“This outside talk has always been useless for me from the first day of my career, its better if these things stay outside. We don’t let these things come inside the team, and nor will we allow them in the future," he said about questions over Rahul's form.

But leaving Rahul out of the team in the fifth T20 opened an interesting option for the Indian team--Rohit Sharma and Kohli opening the batting. They put together an explosive 94-run opening stand to decimate England, but Kohli did not confirm that they will stick to this formula for the world cup.

“We did enjoy batting with each other and saw the effects of us batting together and what 20 overs of us batting together can do to an opposition. It’s not a guarantee that this is going to be continued in the future,” he said. “I am going to open in the IPL to keep all options open. I batted at 3,4 and I want to go back to understanding my role as an opener so that I provide an option to open up a slot for someone like Surya (Yadav) who is playing the way he is at the moment...I should be ready to play any kind of role the team requires me to. We will have a conversation closer to the World Cup when we get there. It will also be interesting to see how I go in the IPL first.”