England vs India 2018: Five things India should do ahead of the third ODI
The One-Day International series between England and India so far has been the tale of a side outplaying the other comprehensively. India began with a bang before England came back to turn the tables. As the two teams head into the decider at Headingley, Leeds, it remains to be seen which of the two sides can hold their nerve better and seal the series with a win.
England skipper Eoin Morgan has spoken about the side learning to deal with pressure as they were knocked out by Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 despite having a very good campaign. He spoke about the players learning to perform under pressure of a knockout and the third ODI provides them with an opportunity to do the same.
It was the same tournament which taught India their harshest lesson till date when Pakistan outsmarted them in the final to set the alarm bells ringing. The changes have reflected in a stupendous run of form. They had a forgetful time at Lord's though and will be itching to get back to winning ways and take the series. What can they do to win the decider? Let's get into it.
#1 Owning the Powerplay with the ball
Twice in as many games, India have let the England openers off the hook very early which has resulted in them gaining an upper hand going into the overs against the spinners. The two new-ball bowlers in Umesh Yadav and Siddarth Kaul will have to get their lines right to ensure they keep the pressure on the two aggressive England openers and set the game up for the spinners to follow with some early wickets.
Umesh Yadav, in particular, can look forward to the chance to lead the bowling attack in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah. He's had a very good IPL season but now is the time to show his skills with the new ball and set the tone for India.