India’s job cut out before World Cup
These kind of games will tell us what we need to improve upon. We need to have good balance and we need to get our act right before the World Cup. VIRAT KOHLI, India captain
Karthik at No 4 was a failed experiment as India could only manage a below par 256/8 after being put in to bat. It proved insufficient, and for the first time, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav were outdone by the England spin duo of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali.
Rashid took three crucial wickets while the Indian spinners went wicketless.
Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan’s match-winning partnership proved India cannot be relying on just one player.
England have exposed gaping holes, but India have almost a year to sort out their combination and strategy for matches that are likely to be played in very English conditions.
India pacer Shardul Thakur, drafted straight into the playing eleven for the final game, anointed England favourites for the mega event. “England are favourites because it’s their home conditions. They know them better, how to play here, so other teams have a big challenge to play here.
They have played well against Australia recently and now against us, so it will be difficult to beat them. But when we do come back, we will be all geared up,” said Thakur, who was left to face the media after the defeat.