CWC 2019: England captain Eoin Morgan wary of Team India threat at the World Cup

England and India are currently the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams in the ICC ODI rankings.

England and India are duo to face each other on June 30 at Edgbaston | Getty

Eoin Morgan considers the Virat Kohli-led Indian side as a genuine threat to England’s hopes of winning the ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time this summer.

Hosts England are being deemed as firm favourites to lift the coveted trophy, but Morgan feels facing India will be a tough challenge for his troops as the Men in Blue enjoy a huge fan following all over the world and they would get great support in UK as well.

“It’s a huge opportunity and one that we’re really looking forward to. We have been building towards this and we can’t wait to get started. Every time we play India, it seems to be an away game and a home game for them wherever they are in the world. They’re such a big team and a popular team that they do get great support,” Morgan quoted as saying by ICC.

England and India are currently the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams in the ICC ODI rankings with 123 and 120 rating points respectively. They are due to face each other on June 30 at Edgbaston.

“But it’ll be no different to any other time that we play them. It’s a big game for us so we’re firmly focused on what we’re going to do and how we prepare. We’re really looking forward to it. It’s been a tough two years that we’ve played against them and two very competitive series. To go into the World Cup almost as joint-favourites is exciting,” he added.

England have left out Jofra Archer from their preliminary 15-member World Cup squad, going instead with the same set of pacers who featured in the five-match ODI series against West Indies earlier this year.

Although Archer’s omission has raised eyebrows, Morgan believes England already have the best opening bowler limited-overs cricket has to offer in the form of Chris Woakes.

“He’ll be extremely important. He’s been the best bowler in the world in the first ten overs for the past two years in international cricket and he goes about his business very quietly and very effectively. He’s exceptional, and a very important part of our team," Morgan said while talking about Woakes.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 25 Apr, 2019

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