England captain Morgan expects T20 World Cup auditions to continue in India ODI series
England captain Eoin Morgan said the three-match ODI series against India, which begins in Pune today, will be another opportunity for players to make their case for T20 World Cup selection.
The visitors lost a hard-fought T20 series 3-2 but Morgan said the tour is providing valuable lessons about the tough conditions in the country where the T20 World Cup will be staged in October-November.
Asked whether those on the margins can put themselves in the frame for a spot in the squad at the World Cup, Morgan replied: “Absolutely. Given the squads are very similar, we see both skill sets as very valuable. We see the 50-over format between the two T20 World Cups as a building block for our squad.
“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 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.”
England are reigning 50-over champions and Morgan said they must prove their worth on all types of surfaces. “The challenge for us is always trying to explore and push the limits as much as we can given the conditions,” Morgan said.
“In conditions that are a little bit alien to us naturally, like India, it’s always nice to get out of your comfort zone and learn more about your team and your players to try and make mistakes and learn from them.”
A lot of attention has been on the rotation policy for the tour – which concludes on Sunday after the ODIs – with Jofra Archer, Joe Root and Chris Woakes high-profile absentees.
Moeen Ali was surprisingly unused in each of the five T20s even though he went on a pre-determined break during the Test series to be fresh for white-ball assignments.
But the off-spinning all-rounder, alongside the likes of Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone, may come into the reckoning in Pune this week.
And despite a frustrating time this winter, Morgan has been encouraged by how Moeen has handled himself, saying: “The little period Mo spent at home before this series has done him the world of good.
“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 that 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.”
Also, logistical challenges to travel routes and an obligatory quarantine period in India have led to Root and Woakes not returning, while Archer misses this series with a troublesome elbow.
Morgan was reluctant to put a date on Archer’s return, saying: “Only time will tell.
“The duty of care is towards the player. He’s given his heart and soul to us since he’s been involved, so all the care and attention will be given to him in order to get the best result possible.”
While Morgan is looking forward to a white-ball opportunity in a World Cup year, his counterpart Virat Kohli did not seem too enthusiastic about playing ODIs when the World Test Championship final and the 20-over showpiece are the main events of 2021. Kohli said tournament scheduling “is something that is not in our control.”
“I think it’s very important to consider how much cricket you are playing. It’s not just the physical side of thing but the mental side of things as well,” Kohli said.
“Scheduling and workloads is something that everyone will have to be very aware,” he added. “Especially in today’s day and age where you just don’t know where restrictions might come in.”
England are reigning 50-over champions and Morgan said they must prove their worth on all types of surfaces