Eng vs Ind: 5 potential threats to India in Limited Overs Series against England
It’s that time in Indian cricket when each player dons the blue jersey with an eye over his spot in India’s squad for the World Cup 2019 which is scheduled to take place in England. With a new season in prospect, Team India embarks upon a journey that sees them going through some tough overseas tours in their lead up to the next World Cup.
To begin with, they face-off against Ireland in a two-match T20 series that begins on June 27, and then India will play England for a crisp limited overs series of three T20Is and three ODIs before the Test series.
Despite of their dream run in the past two years, England will be wary of the tough challenge that Virat Kohli’s men can pose even in the conditions that are alien to them.
However, it promises to be a cracker of a series with both the sides evenly balanced. If English will look to exploit their home conditions, India has their trump cards in Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who can be effective even on pitches that don’t have much to offer for the bowlers.
We take a look at some of those players who can be a headache for Team India in White ball cricket:
#1 Jonny Bairstow
The English Test Wicket-keeper batsmen have re-invented himself completely in the past couple of years for the shorter versions of the game.
He has brought a revelation in his style of batting and the way he approaches the game in the white-ball cricket. An ODI career that began in 2011 against India had seen him on the sidelines much due to his inconsistent run and Buttler’s stupendous form that ruled him out of the side.
But it was when Roy went through a lean patch that saw the 28-year old make his way into the side purely as a batsman.
It was an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands to make inroads in his career in the limited overs format. Bairstow cemented his place as an opener and was instrumental to impress the selectors as he mustered runs at will.
His recent form is as good an indicative to judge his stature grow as a batsman considering the Yorkshire man has scored all his centuries in past one year.
If England is to continue their dominant run, it will be important for Bairstow to provide his side with brisk starts at the top of the order.