England vs India 2018: 3 English batsmen India need to watch out for
England are certainly on a roll. They demolished Australia in the recently concluded ODI and T20I series and look to be a completely transformed team under Paul Farbrace. They have set a new standard for batting and have underlined this by setting the highest ODI total by a men's side. They certainly seem to be a team with their game in order.
England must be wishing that the ICC Cricket World Cup was next month instead of next year given their current form. To be honest, the team does look very different from English teams of the past and seems to have a new sense of confidence and destructiveness when it comes to the batting department.
Their batting performances have been one of the biggest headlines in the cricket world in recent times and India would do well to take note of this. If India hope to have any chance of having a successful English tour they are going to have to ensure that they have a response to the English batting lineup which seems in the mood to obliterate any bowling attack which it comes across.
Three English batsmen have stood out above the rest when it comes to runs scored and the rate at which they have come. If India hope to derail England during this tour they are going to have to ensure that they have their plans in place for these three batsmen.
#1 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 a limited overs player. 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 limited overs player.
Bairstow has shown that he has the ability to control and pace his innings during run chases. He doesn't give his wicket away easily and can build partnerships to lay a platform for the finishers coming in later during the innings.
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.