"Need to maintain an attacking approach" - Ashely Giles reacts to England's ODI series loss to India
Former left-arm spinner Ashley Giles recently pointed out that players from England's ODI team haven't played a lot of cricket together in recent times. He suggested that this could be the cause of their inconsistency in the three-match series against India.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, he spoke about how it isn't easy for cricketers to switch between different formats. He believes that England's top-order batters must score big runs for the side to be successful in 50-over cricket.
The former cricketer further added that the Jos Buttler-led side should look to stick to an attacking approach, as it has yielded positive results for them in the past. He explained:
"England's ODI lineup has been a bit disjointed in terms of how much they've played together. England haven't played their best team on that many occasions in ODI cricket recently. It takes time to settle in again and play in a different format. They need to get runs in the top order and maintain an attacking approach."
Notably, the English side showcased great intent to win the rescheduled fifth Test against India in stunning fashion. However, the Men in Blue beat the hosts 2-1 in the subsequent T20I as well as the ODI series.
With that said, it must also be considered that the India series was Jos Buttler's first assignment as England's full-time white-ball captain.
A memorable #ENGvIND tour for #TeamIndia as we finish it on a winning note. 🙌 🙌 https://t.co/cxPLXpoBvh
"Don't think some of the batters are in very good form right now" - Ashley Giles on Team India's batting order
Giles further stated that the underwhelming form of India's senior batters often puts other players under the pump. He reckons that while Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya bailed them out in the third ODI against, their middle-order batters haven't delivered consistently.
He explained that the Men in Blue should add more depth to their batting by having capable batters lower down the order. He added:
"I don't think some of the Indian batters are in very good form right now. But that doesn't mean that they'll never return to form. But when they do fail, it clearly puts pressure on the middle-order.
"Until today, we haven't seen the middle-order step up to that challenge. You would want to have a long batting order in white-ball cricket as the No.7 or 8 can score very valuable runs."
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bit.ly/ENGvIND-3RDODI
A well-deserved century from @RishabhPant17 to take #TeamIndia over the line as he bags the Player of the Match award in the series decider. 👏👏
We finish the ODI series 2⃣-1⃣ 🙌
Scorecard 👉 bit.ly/ENGvIND-3RDODI https://t.co/gPQ3povnrz
The likes of Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya showcased great composure after India's top-order big guns were back in the hut early during the third ODI. They stitched together a glorious 133-run partnership in the deciding contest.
Pant went on to score a stunning century (125*), his first in the one-day format, to help India win the series.