“My debut the other day just felt like any other game” - Liam Livingstone
Hard-hitting England batsman Liam Livingstone has admitted that playing various T20 franchise leagues eased the pressure on him on his ODI debut.
Liam Livingstone came in when England had already lost a couple of quick wickets during their chase of 337 against India in the second ODI. He smashed an impressive 27 not out from 21 balls to guide the team home.
Speaking to the host broadcaster ahead of the deciding ODI against India on Sunday, Livingstone said that having had enough T20 experience, his one-day debut felt like any other game. He said:
“I made my debut four years ago in T20 cricket. I have had enough experience around the world in the last four years. Coming into the game the other day just felt like any other game. I guess that’s the reason we go around playing these franchise competitions, to make that moment seem as normal as possible. I have really enjoyed my time around the group. Making my debut the other day was really exciting.”
Reflecting on his ODI debut performance, Livingstone said he really enjoyed it.
“It has been a long tour and I was waiting on the sidelines for my opportunities. It was nice to get that the other day and contribute to a win. It was a great result for us and sets up an excellent game today,” said the 27-year-old.
While he has only played two T20Is for England back in 2017, Liam Livingstone has the experience of appearing in as many as 128 T20 matches. He has represented Perth Scorchers in the BBL, Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL, and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
We try and put the opposition under as much pressure as we can: Liam Livingstone
The standout aspect of England’s batting performance over the last few years has been their no-holds-barred approach. Asked if the England batsmen have any particular modus operandi to unsettle the opposition, Liam Livingstone replied:
“We try and put the opposition under as much pressure as we can. The way Jonny (Bairstow) and Ben (Stokes) went about it the other day was phenomenal. Sitting upstairs and watch that unfold was pretty special. That’s the sort of way we want to play our cricket. It is a really exciting brand of cricket. Sometimes it doesn’t go according to plan. But when it does, it is pretty special.”
On the two successive sixes he hit off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Livingstone said:
“We were under a little bit of pressure. When I came in, we had lost a couple of wickets. So we took a couple of risks and got the game finished. It was nice to be there at the end. It’s basically a final today. Hopefully, we can go away with a win.”
With the three-match series level at 1-1, India and England have everything to play for in the final ODI today in Pune.