England ended their summer by uncovering a winning approach to limited overs cricket, says Nick Knight.
Series defeats in the ODI contests with Sri Lanka and India this year spelled serious concern for Alastair Cook’s men ahead of the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
However, a 41-run win in the 50-over dead-rubber with India at Headingley on Friday, coupled with a thrilling three-run T20 success over the same opponents at Edgbaston are reasons for optimism, says Sky Cricket pundit Knight.
Why does it take losing a series to go out there after that and express yourself?
Scoring 294 and 180 first up in those two matches respectively, England demonstrated an attacking approach absent from their previous one-day efforts earlier in the summer – and crucially gave their bowlers realistic hope of securing the win.
“In the last two games we saw a refreshing approach,” explained the former batsman.
“England were much more aggressive in the T20, using their feet. That’s bound to come in T20 cricket but if you go back to the last ODI the same thing happened. They’re not just going to prop and crop in those middle overs against spinners, they thought ‘we’re going to take them on, try and create some momentum, try and take it through to the back end of the innings’.
“And in those two games England got two very good scores and it allowed the bowlers to ease into the game a little bit more. The batting has been much more impressive in the last two games.”
Finishers
Knight is also eager to see England’s selectors stand by Chris Woakes – who restricted MS Dhoni at the death on Sunday – and Harry Gurney.
The pair won their places in the limited overs set-ups with their impressive bowling in the final overs of matches and Knight says that skill is hard to come by.
“In 50 over cricket England are still trying to find answers at the end of that innings,” said Knight.
“Gurney has been left out of a lot of the ODI’s recently and they may decide to go back to him.
“Most sides in the world are struggling to find someone to bowl at the death, there aren’t too many combinations that are going to finish off an innings and with the regulation changes with 50 over cricket it makes it even tougher for those combinations to be found.
“So if you’ve got two players you feel can do the job, then I urge selectors to stick with them. It’s not a job you can keep swapping and changing. You’re going to have your days when you get whacked for six - but stick with them.”
Risk
Nasser Hussain was also impressed with the way England finished their summer, although admitted he was frustrated that Cook’s side, after fighting back to win the Test series in fine style, failed to assert their authority in the one-day format until they were three down with one to play.
“I think all credit must go to Cook and Peter Moores for the way they turned that Test series around,” said the former skipper.
“After Lord’s it was a real low point and Cook and Moores brought James Anderson, Ian Bell and the senior players together and turned that around brilliantly.
“But there’s still plenty of work to do in one-day cricket; why does it take losing a series to go out there after that and express yourself? Express yourself before the series is lost, risk it and get some players in. You never know, they might surprise you.”
