JAMES ANDERSON FOR BLOKELY.COM
James Anderson picks out three ups from England’s ill-fated Indian adventure. Oh, and he pulled the plug at three minuses n’all…
THREE PLUSES…
A WIN IS A WIN!
Beating India in the one T20I of the tour at Kolkata was our first win over there since 2006. Although it hardly makes up for losing all five of the 50-over games, at least it did mean that we retain our status as the top ranked 20-over side in the world.
THE MIGHTY FINN
After a successful but challenging tour of Australia and then a hit-and-miss summer at home against Sri Lanka, Steve Finn looked stronger, fitter and faster than ever before in an England shirt. He bowled accurately, he bowled with pace and he bowled with fire and heart.
TAKING AIM
It looked like the coaching staff had encouraged the fielders ‘in the ring’ to stand closer than would be the norm in an attempt to narrow angles and also to give the fielders more opportunities for run-outs. Although the fieldsmen didn’t manage many direct hits, it does bode well for the future. England looked a more aggressive fielding side on the back of it.
THREE MINUSES…
MIDDLE-ORDER MISFIRES
I’m guessing that few of the batsmen felt that they came out of the series with much credit and if there was an area where we struggled the most it was in finding different, varied and productive methods of scoring against the Indian spinners when the pitches were turning and a more patient approach was a virtue. Without Eoin Morgan we definitely looked short of ‘that player’ who could do it all in one-dayers and eventually see the side to a winning score or to chasing down a total.
THE CONFIDENCE GAP
From the first game of the series India looked more confident and England less so. This certainly went a long way in rebalancing the difference between two sides that looked completely the opposite in English conditions. To be so badly beaten by an India side without the names of Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag will hurt.
INDIVIDUALS DELIVERING TEAM GOALS
Top of the tree in Test cricket and 20-over cricket, but on the back of this tour we seem no closer to cracking 50-overs. It’s a team goal to become the best side in the world in all forms of the game and to be currently ranked fifth means we obviously still have a lot of work to do before the next World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015. And you would have to say that very few players would currently rate themselves as absolute certainties for selection in four months time, let alone four years. Shirt possession is all up for grabs.
