World Cup: 'England made mistake by leaving out Ravi Bopara against Australia'

Andrew Strauss feels England made a mistake by omitting Ravi Bopara from their World Cup opener with Australia.

England were thumped by 111 runs at the MCG, with Bopara’s replacement, Gary Ballance, adding just 10 runs from the No 3 position in the team’s score of 231 all out.

Sky Sports pundit Strauss believes England’s late change showed how fearful they were of facing Australia’s seamers and says the fact Eoin Morgan could not utilise Bopara’s medium-pace bowling disrupted the balance of the side.

“Australia took the game to England but England were a bit nervy and conservative, even with the team selection by bringing in Ballance for Bopara before the game,” he told Sky Sports World Cup.

“You could see that was a negative and that they were worried about Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc and that sent out the wrong message.

The fact that Bopara was in the team in Sri Lanka and in the Tri-Series in Australia but dropped for the first game of the World Cup suggests the planning has gone wrong.

“The fact that Bopara was in the team in Sri Lanka and in the Tri-Series in Australia but dropped for the first game of the World Cup suggests the planning has gone wrong.

“You could argue that he hasn’t taken his chance but the England team is not as well-balanced without him.”

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James Taylor’s 98not out was a high point for England – the Nottinghamshire star notching his highest ODI score from the No 6 berth – but Morgan failed with the bat once again, collecting his fourth duck in five innings.

Strauss has backed his former Middlesex team-mate to rediscover his batting mojo but says it will not be easy now that he also has the captaincy to contend with.

“There are not many positives for England after a pretty meek display,” added the former England skipper.

World Cup Cricket Verdict

“Taylor showed some form but this was a heavy beating with a very difficult game against New Zealand coming up next.

“The most disappointing aspect was Morgan getting another duck – he can lead from the front and play that explosive game but he is in no sort of form and needs to turn it around quickly.

“He hasn’t been overawed by the captaincy but he has found some bizarre ways of getting out and now has to combine working out how to turn a losing side around as well as his own form.

“However, I still expect him to come through because he is one of England's best one-day players ever with the way he can construct an innings.”

Watch highlights of England’s game with Australia at 1pm, 5pm, and 9pm on Sky Sports World Cup on Saturday. Plus, for analysis of the match, watch The Verdict, at 2pm, 6pm and 10pm on the same channel.