Former England all-rounder Ravi Bopara has reckoned that the Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, has been worried about the short ball. Notably, his comments came after India’s batting collapse in the second ODI at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Thursday, July 16.
India looked completely settled at 178/3 in 31.3 overs. However, they could score only 55 more runs before getting bundled out for 233 runs in 44 overs. Virat Kohli (65) and Shreyas Iyer (66) were the top scorers in the first innings.
“It’s almost like every time an Indian batsman falls to the short ball, a signal is sent to the dressing room, and they get worried about the short ball,” Bopara told Sky Sports.
“You get a lot of indifference in pace and bounce on English wickets. It just looks like India are a little bit worried about the short ball at the moment,” Bopara said.
Former England captain and commentator Eoin Morgan has heaped praise on the English bowlers for creating an impact with timely blows at the opposition batters. Moreover, he reckoned that Virat Kohli was up for something big.
“Throughout the middle phase of the game, England took wickets, and India’s runs flowed. But England were more accurate with how they bowled in the second powerplay. They enticed India into cross-batted shots, which stunted them and allowed England to take and create more opportunities,” Morgan said.
“All of us had the house on for Kohli producing something special. We’re all homeless now! He looked highly tuned, Virat Kohli in the form of his life from the get-go. He walked out with a huge amount of intent; his footwork was crisp, and he made things look easy,” he added.
“It was classic Kohli, accumulating a run-a-ball, even when partnerships slowed. For him to get out at 65 is an anomaly. We’ve seen how good he is throughout his career, converting starts into hundreds. He normally capitalises and punishes the opposition, but not today, and that’s to England’s credit,” he concluded.
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