Bairstow and Roy were magnificent against India
I had a hunch that Jonny Bairstow would be desperate to play with a great innings against India at Edgbaston and that I was delighted to be shown directly by his match-winning ton. Jason Roy was brilliant too and is now the heartbeat of the England team.
Roy played a cover drive in the second over and the feeling of relief across the ground was palpable. I could sense fans believing:”Yes, this is England again. This is the confidence and confidence we will need to win this game.”
Roy looked magnificent and it was difficult to believe he had been out injured and only facing chunks in the nets for 2 weeks.I don’t mind admitting I had clammy palms when Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni were constructing a partnership. I would not have been surprised when they had attained the conduct speed of 12 an over and when Pandya got I felt great relief.
I backed Chris Woakes to be our best wicket taker but was pleased when Liam Plunkett eclipsed him. Pudsey is such a phlegmatic character but he trains so hard and it means a lot to him. He was brilliant on his return to the group.
In general, I think England’s victory against South Africa was the most complete operation we’ve seen from them in this World Cup. However, the performance against India was quite good indeed. They climbed 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’t really explain England’s powerful recent document at Edgbaston (10 wins in a row in all formats). Perhaps the wicket was put on for them on Sunday. Or perhaps it simply suited India less. I know Virat Kohli called the boundary”crazy short” afterwards and said it suited the team batting first. But India had the chance to exploit it. Additionally, there are crazy short boundaries in India so that I do not really see Kohli’s point.
England could wind up playing India at Edgbaston again in the semi-final. They would be very happy with this, as it is great if you’ve got a ground you know you’re playing nicely. The Test teams I played in were always delighted to visit Trent Bridge because we had a formidable record there and always believed we’d win.
Roy and Rashid can shine against Kiwis
I am up at The Riverside Ground today (Monday) and, by looking at the wicket, I think Moeen Ali should return in the side. This pitch is quite slow and it’ll turn. It doesn’t really match fast bowlers so I’d seem to rest one.
Mark Wood has discovered great rhythm, therefore I wouldn’t take him out. It might seem crazy but if I had been choosing the side, I would rest Jofra Archer and bring Moeen back. As I can not make sure that will happen, I’ll back Adil Rashid to be our top wicket taker at 7/2, as I definitely feel this is a spinner’s pitch.
In terms of top England run scorer, I am going to get Jason Roy at 3/1. There’s a good deal of positivity about him and it was notable how good he seemed coming back in the side on Sunday. For me, he is the man for England now.
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