Level of consistency in 50-over cricket since World Cup win has been average: Eoin Morgan
Eoin Morgan has listed his expectations from the upcoming India vs England ODI series. The England skipper is keen to register an away win and believes it would be a welcome boost for the visitors to see their fringe players take their chances.
England take on India in a three-match ODI series for the last leg of their tour. All three matches will take place in Pune, with the first game scheduled for March 23.
Eoin Morgan spoke to the media at a virtual press conference on Monday. After England lost both the Test and T20I assignments against India, he was asked what will constitute a success for him in the series.
“I think the level of consistency that we have shown in 50 over cricket since the World Cup win has been average. We haven’t had our strongest team together for quite some time since that given the amount of cricket we have played,” said Eoin Morgan.
England have played nine games since that eventful 2019 World Cup Final win against New Zealand. They have managed to win less than 50% of the encounters, winning just four games in the process.
They have played only one away series during that period, with Eoin Morgan’s men drawing the three-match series 1-1 against South Africa.
The visitors have gone in with a 14-man squad for the ODI series against India. Players like Liam Livingstone and Reece Topley are expected to feature after failing to get a game during the T20I series, and Eoin Morgan admitted he is targeting consistency away from home in the format.
“But if we can perform and show a level of consistency away from home, it will be a huge step forward. On top of that, you (want to) see guys coming back taking opportunities that don’t come very often. (That) would give us a lot of confidence moving forward,” said the England skipper.
Moeen Ali was considered for every T20I, says Eoin Morgan
England’s decision to not play Moeen Ali in any of the five T20Is has attracted criticism from several quarters. The all-rounder flew back to England after the second Test to be fit for the T20I series but curiously didn’t make an appearance in any of the encounters.
Clearing the air around Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan explained the all-rounder was considered for all the India vs England T20Is. The skipper expounded England’s consistent selection was down to them playing their best eleven.
“Every game that we went to, he (Moeen Ali) was considered for selection. It wasn’t just a matter of having a consistent playing eleven throughout the five games. That wasn’t our intention. Our intention was to pick our best eleven to try and win every game. That was based on having our best 15-16 players available for us. So, it wasn’t about consistency,” said Morgan.
Eoin Morgan's men will have a chance to end the series on a high when they take on India in the three-match ODI series. The series opener starts at 1:30 PM IST on March 23.