Playing it safe for 40 overs with bat might cost India the 2023 WC, feels Vaughan
Mar 27, 2021
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 27 : Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels playing cautious cricket for the first 40 overs might cost India the ODI World Cup in 2023.
In both the ODIs against England, Team India got off to a slow start but got over the 300-run mark courtesy late onslaughts by Krunal Pandya and Rishabh Pant in the first and second game respectively.
While the hosts had scored just 64 runs in the first 15 overs in the opening ODI, they notched just nine in the first four overs in the second game.
Vaughan wants India to accelerate right from the start as the Virat Kohli-led side has enough power and depth in the batting line-up to register a 375-plus score on flat wickets.
"Today should be a lesson to India ... Playing it safe for 40 overs with Bat might cost them in a World Cup at home in 2 yrs they have enough power & depth to get scores of 375 + on flat wickets. England leading the way with this approach," Vaughan tweeted.
On the other hand, England had seen a firing start from the openers in both the game. While the visitors did collapse in the first ODI, they made sure the same thing didn't happen in the second game.
In the second ODI, Ben Stokes' swashbuckling 99 and in-form England opener Jonny Bairstow's 112-ball 124 saw England register a six-wicket win over India.
Chasing a mammoth target of 337, the visitors cruised home with 39 balls to spare as they levelled the three-match series 1-1. If the Indian batsmen stole the show in the afternoon, it was the turn of the English batters under lights to showcase some quality strokeplay.
Bairstow, who went all guns blazing on the Indian bowlers, credited visitors' batting depth for playing fearless cricket.
"We have Adil Rashid coming in at 10 or 11. Adil on his own rights has got 10 first-class hundreds. To have that kind of player coming in at 10 or 11, not many teams around the world have that," said Bairstow during the virtual press conference.
"If you couple that with the power-hitters in Moeen Ali, Curran brothers, the list can go on. So yeah, definitely does give you a lot of confidence knowing that the batting lineup is strong," he added.
The series decider will be played at the same venue on Sunday.
