Ahead of the five-match T20I series decider on Saturday (March 20), Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has suggested a couple of changes for England to their batting order against India after they suffered an 8-run defeat in the fourth T20I on Thursday in Ahmedabad.
Karthik, who is a part of the commentary panel on Sky Sports, however believes that Eoin Morgan will stick to the same XI for the fifth and final T20I against India on Saturday in Ahmedabad to give his players confidence.
He further said England’s No.3 batsman Dawid Malan should be replaced by all-rounder Ben Stokes with Jonny Bairstow at No. 4 and Morgan at No. 5 and Sam Billings could bat at No.6 to have a solid middle-order in the series decider clash in Ahmedabad.
Karthik said on Sky Sports: “If I know Morgan, he'll stick to the same XI and make sure he gives them confidence. But, for me, I have nothing against Malan - I think he's a good player - but I think Stokes should bat at No 3, with the intent he showed, the way he was taking on the bowlers.”
The veteran batsman further added, “If it was Roy, Buttler, Stokes, with Bairstow at No 4 and Morgan No 5, that's the way I'd look at it. That looks pretty solid to me.”
Meanwhile, former England captain Nasser Hussain also believes that England needs to revisit their middle-order as it has three left-handed batsmen coming in one after another and it gives the momentum to India – that’s something they need to address.
Hussain said after the fourth T20I on Thursday, “That middle-order needs looking at. Three left-handers going in one after the other, up against a bowler [Shardul Thakur], who finds bowling off-cutters to left-handers very easy. [Dawid] Malan at the top, using up deliveries, left the left-handers in the middle order with a lot to do against a good death bowler.”
He signed off, “When the two right-handed lower-order batsmen, [Jofra] Archer and [Chris] Jordan got in, Thakur couldn't go to his off-cutter, he had to try something different and that threw him a little bit. England's three left-handers, coming in one after the other, just gave the momentum to India.”
