Roy and bairstow were magnificent against India
I had a hunch that Jonny Bairstow would be desperate to play with a fantastic innings from India at Edgbaston and I was thrilled to be shown directly by his match-winning ton. Jason Roy was brilliant too and is currently the heartbeat of the England team.
Roy played with a cover drive from the second over and the sense of relief around the floor was palpable. I could sense fans thinking:”Yes, this is England again. This is the assurance and assurance we need to win this game.”
Roy looked magnificent and it was difficult to believe he’d been out injured and only facing chunks in the nets for two weeks.I do not mind admitting I had clammy palms when Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni were constructing a partnership. I would not have been surprised when they’d attained the run rate of 12 an over and when Pandya got out I felt great relief.
I backed Chris Woakes to be our top wicket taker but was pleased when Liam Plunkett eclipsed him. Pudsey is such a phlegmatic personality but he trains so tough and it means so much to him. He was brilliant on his return to the group.
In general, I think England’s success against South Africa has been the most complete performance we have seen from them at this World Cup. But the functionality against India was quite good indeed. They rose to the pressure and flourished on the must-win scenario. Hopefully, that will be repeated against New Zealand on Wednesday.
England would love Edgbaston return
I can not actually explain England’s powerful recent record at Edgbaston (10 wins in a row in all formats). Maybe the wicket was spot on for them on Sunday. Or perhaps it simply suited India less. I know Virat Kohli known as the border”crazy short” afterwards and said it satisfied the team batting first. However, India had the opportunity to exploit it. Additionally, there are mad short boundaries in India so that I don’t really see Kohli’s point.
England could wind up playing India in Edgbaston again at the semi-final. They’d be happy with this, as it is great when you’ve got a floor you know you’re playing nicely. The Test teams I played in were always thrilled to visit Trent Bridge because we had a formidable listing there and constantly thought we’d win.
Roy and Rashid can glow against Kiwis
I am up in The Riverside Ground now (Monday) and, by taking a look at the wicket, I believe Moeen Ali should return in the side. This pitch is quite slow and it’ll turn. It does not really match fast bowlers so I would seem to break one.
Mark Wood has found great rhythm, therefore I would not take him out. It may sound crazy but when I were choosing the side, I would rest Jofra Archer and deliver Moeen back. As I can’t be certain that will happen, I will back Adil Rashid to be our top wicket taker at 7/2, as I definitely feel that this is a spinner’s pitch.
In terms of best England run scorer, I’m trying for Jason Roy at 3/1. There’s a good deal of positivity about him and it was remarkable just how great he seemed coming back into the side on Sunday. For me, he’s the man for England now.
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