We’re right on track for World Cup

Eoin Morgan has always said he wants more do-or-die games to give England experience of ‘knockout’ cricket. Well he has, in effect, had two of them at Lord’s and here at Headingley and they have come through with flying colours.

England can be very satisfied with winning this significant one- day series after going 1-0 down, because india could easily have put a massive dent in their confidence as favourites for the home World Cup next year.

Morgan had a very good series as captain in the way he marshalled his troops and with small things like putting a leg slip in for Suresh raina and choosing to bat first in the second game.

Most significant was that, on a slower, lower pitch at Lord’s, England found a way to get to a match-winning total to ease fears that they are a one-dimensional, big-hitting batting unit.

That’s why Joe root is so important to this 50- over side. Yes, you want all the big-hitters in the team and, yes, it’s hard to know who to leave out, but if England get to a World Cup semi-final on a slow pitch, they will need root’s class.

England also know they have a pair of spinners in adil rashid and Moeen ali who can take full advantage of those conditions. rashid has been exceptional. Last year he was still getting some of his wickets with poor balls, but look at him now. He is getting good players out with very good deliveries.

if anything is going to give rashid confidence it is dismissing Virat Kohli twice in three games, stumped at Trent Bridge and then with an absolute beauty here yesterday.

other players have progressed in this white-ball summer. David Willey, for instance, would have started this season looking over his shoulder. But he has ended it a more complete bowler who has been trusted by Morgan at the death and a batsman capable of replicating his performances for Yorkshire, where he invariably opens in white-ball cricket.

England’s fielding has been excellent, too, epitomised by the run-out of Shikhar Dhawan by Ben Stokes that went a long way to turning yesterday’s game.

There are things to improve. England worked out Kuldeep Yadav the more they saw of him, but the batting against mystery spin has to be better.

But it could be that England’s problem, when alex Hales is fit, is who to leave out, because there isn’t anyone in their best 12 who deserves to be dropped. and that is a healthy position to be in a year out from the World Cup.