Morgan sees series as a valuable building block
EOIN MORGAN refuses to accept England’s one-day international series with India is an anti-climax, with the tourists preparing to give a number of fringe players a chance.
Jofra Archer, Joe Root and Chris Woakes are high-profile absentees for the three-game series starting in Pune today, leaving Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Livingstone and Reece Topley among those hoping to feature in the day-night games.
And Morgan believes those on the margins can stake a claim in the longer format to form part of the squad when England return to India for the Twenty20 World Cup in October and November.
‘Absolutely. Given the squads are very similar, we see both skill sets as very valuable,’ said Morgan.
‘Playing any international cricket
is a huge opportunity for guys who have been here on the fringes and not made selection so far.
‘We see the 50-over format between the two
T20 World Cups as a building block. It has been an extremely productive tour so far. The biggest picture is always the World Cup in both white-ball formats. You don’t always have to win every series in order to win a World Cup.
‘You continuously need to get better, need to be tested as a side, need to fail in order to learn.
That involves losing, which isn’t fun but it is part of the journey.’
With no global 50over tournament until late 2023, the remainder of the tour could be seen as an after-thought as a sevenweek trip – in which India came from behind to win 3-1 in the Tests and 3-2 in the T20 series – draws to a close on Sunday.
Morgan indicated Moeen is likely to get a chance to show his value to the team after the off-spinning allrounder was conspicuously unused in the five T20s.
The 33-year-old was sidelined for the Sri Lanka series in January after contracting coronavirus while he was rested for the final two Tests in India, briefly returning home, in expectation he would be integral to the white-ball plans.
Morgan has been encouraged by the way Moeen handled himself during such a frustrating period.
‘The little period Mo spent at home before this series has done him the world of good,’ he said.
‘He has come back refreshed and with plenty of energy. He is a very relaxed guy who always has a reasonable perspective on life and sport, and the role it plays within society. He is travelling really well.
‘Anybody who is an all-rounder and makes the squad is extremely valuable to our side. I know he has not played but that’s been circumstantial. The pitches we played on just haven’t turned.’