3 things we learned from England vs India ODIs
England swept aside India in the final ODI to clinch the three-match series 2-1 after another superb ton by Joe Root. With this win, England have maintained their 100% win-record in ODI series in 2018. They have also gained momentum ahead of the five-match Test series, starting August 1. India couldn't come together to stall England and here are the three things we learned.
India's middle-order is a problem
With India's top three batsmen often being amongst the runs, the middle-order hardly faces crunch situations. Pundits have always said that Indian middle-order is the Achilles' heel and the last 2 ODIs were a testament to that. The collective failure saw England make merry. If India want to stake a claim on World Cup 2019, Kohli needs to address this problem sooner than later.
England favorites to win ICC World Cup 2019
The possibility of England winning the ICC World Cup 2019 is gaining shape. Under Eoin Morgan's leadership, the side looks balanced with a strong winning mentality. No wonder England are the number one side ODI in the world. With the World Cup being at home, they could come out blazing. They have a settled side with plenty of match-winners from top to bottom.
Kohli needs to put his thinking cap on
Virat Kohli's captaincy, at times, hasn't been up to the mark and England capitalized on that. In the decider, he omitted Umesh Yadav from the line-up and got in the inexperienced Shardul Thakur. His bowling changes, in pivotal situations, hurt India's chances as well. Further, the constantly changing middle-order shows India do not know their best starting XI.
View: Root's form deserves a special mention
Ahead of the Test series, if one batsmen needed to come back to form, that was Joe Root. Two successive centuries will give him enough confidence after a dry spell. The way he tackled Kuldeep Yadav showed his determination to rectify mistakes.
