England vs India 2018: Eoin Morgan 'not a huge fan of bilateral ODI series'
Prior to the start of the ongoing ODI series between India and England, there was plenty of talk about the 3-match affair serving as an ideal dress rehearsal for the 2019 World Cup. After all, there has been an increasing sense of redundancy regarding the structure of modern-day white-ball bilateral series.
With the series locked at 1-1, England's limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan has reignited the recent debate on the lack of context surrounding bilateral ODI series. He revealed his affinity towards tri-series and pondered about the lack of such tournaments in recent times.
Looking ahead to the ODI series decider in Leeds, Morgan asserted, "I am not a huge fan of bilateral series. (But) having a game like this is crucial for us. I prefer a tri-series and the context. Every game brings something different with significance on it."
He added, "They (India) are a really strong side, as we saw in periods (in the second game at Lord's) and particularly at Trent Bridge. So to beat them in series would be quite significant - very significant."
After being on the receiving end of an absolute shellacking in the series opener at Trent Bridge, England showed considerable fortitude by bouncing back strongly in the second match at Lord's. Their 86-run triumph was built on a bold decision from skipper Morgan who opted to bat first on a seemingly run-friendly surface.
Facing another must-win clash at Headingley, England have plenty of work to do against a formidable Indian outfit. Morgan expressed awareness of the importance of such pressure-filled matches in the progress of the team's burgeoning white-ball hopes.
When asked about the third ODI being an effective dress rehearsal for a possible knockout game in the big tournament next year, the dynamic left-hander chose to stick to the present and instead pointed to the revamped format of the 2019 World Cup.
The England captain ruminated, "The World Cup format has changed with the Round Robin. So you have a lot of games you have to turn up and do well on the day. This will be one of them. Given circumstances, conditions - Kuldeep (Yadav) might bowl really well. We just need to be in the frame of mind to play well."
Headingley has become a much better venue for spinners in recent limited-overs matches. In its last three games, the slower bowlers have picked 13 wickets. It remains to be seen what type to surface greets the two teams when they take the field for the crucial deciding clash on Tuesday.