England spinner happy to adapt between formats
Tuesday 16 October 2018 20:37, UK
Moeen Ali has said England will play Lasith Malinga with caution after his five-wicket haul in the second one-day international.
The Sri Lankan seamer, playing in only his second international match for the hosts in over a year, blasted the visitors' middle-order away as he clinched his eighth five-for in ODIs in Dambulla on Saturday.
Ali believes Malinga is the biggest threat England face from Sri Lanka's attack after being bowled by one of the 35-year-old's yorkers to fall for a golden duck over the weekend.
"I'm going to try and get a bat on it first," Ali told Rob Key when asked how he was going to try and play him in the third ODI in Kandy, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 9.30am on Wednesday.
"He (Malinga) is a major threat. He bowled fantastically well and as a team we sat down after the game and spoke about how to play him because he is the main threat that we are going to need to cautious against."
Ali also discussed changing his action between white and red-ball after working with occasional spin bowling consultant Saqlain Mushtaq.
The Worcestershire all-rounder was dropped from the Test side after picking up only five scalps across the five Ashes Tests last winter and going wicketless in England's loss in the first Test to New Zealand this March.
However, Ali impressed on his return to the red-ball team this summer, claiming career-best figures of 9-49 against India in Southampton, and explained he is comfortable playing a containing role for the team.
"I have two different actions for Test matches and one-dayers," Ali said. "In one-dayers I feel like I need to bowl a little bit quicker.
"Rash (Adil Rashid) being a leg spinner is a bit more of a wicket-taker and there is a bit more mystery.
"With myself it is about being a little bit smarter, having the right fields to batters and being really patient. I try to bowl as tight as I can, let the other bowlers take the wickets and I just try to pick up one or two."
Hear more from Moeen in the video above as he talks about new England call-up Joe Denly and bowling in wet conditions.
Watch the third ODI between Sri Lanka and England, in Pallekele, live on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404) and Sky Sports Main Event (channel 401) from 9.30am on Wednesday.
