Following a seven-wicket loss, Eoin Morgan has admitted that it was disappointing that they didn’t have a plan to counter India’s batting approach in the second innings. However, Morgan insisted that the team would aim to learn as much as possible from the game while crediting India’s plans.
England lost the toss, and as expected were sent in to bat first in the Narendra Modi Stadium. While the visitors got off to the worst start possible, losing in-form opener Jos Buttler in the first over of the innings, the other batsmen around him batted well to take them to 120 after the 14th over. From there on, the hosts did a great job with the ball, reducing England to just 164.
With the ball, the visitors got off to the best start, picking up the wicket of KL Rahul. However, soon after, they suffered the carnage from the hands of Virat Kohli and Ishan Kishan, who took them to a comfortable win by seven wickets. English skipper Eoin Morgan in the post-match presentation, admitted that England were in and around par by the 15th over, where they were ahead of the game. He also added that India put them under the pump right from the second over.
“I think at the halfway stage we were in and around par. We were in the game but I thought we would have to bowl well to get over the line. I thought India bowled well. This was a different pitch to the one for the first game, less pace in it. And then they came out and put us on the backfoot almost from the start, and we didn’t have a counter to that, which was disappointing,” Morgan said in the presentation, reported ESPN Cricinfo.
Morgan also insisted that he was ‘disappointed with the way England responded but insisted that it was an important game for the Three Lions to play on this kind of wickets. He also revealed that there was no sort of dew during the second innings.
“We want to learn as much as possible from tonight, I’m glad we played on this kind of wicket tonight, but disappointed with the way we played. Statistically there is always an advantage in chasing if there is dew around especially. Tonight there was no dew, full credit to India. Jos opening the batting for us strikes about 150 and averages about 50, so there’s not a lot you can tell a guy like that,” he added.
However, the English skipper also hoped that Mark Wood be fit in time for the third T20I. He also reckoned that in the next game, the pitch is slightly going to ‘turn’ especially with the pitch being played on red-soil.
“Great to see Jason Roy in form, when he plays like that, he’s intimidating at the crease. You’re always going to miss Mark Wood, he feels better today so hopefully he’ll be fit for the next game. If not, the fourth game. We were prepared coming into the series. The next game is on a red-soil pitch, so probably going to turn, but we welcome these challenges,” he concluded.
