After India’s 6-wicket defeat at the hands of England in the second ODI, former cricketer-turned-commentator Nasser Hussain questioned the home team’s batting approach.
Invited to bat first, India piled up 336/6 in 50 overs on the back of KL Rahul’s 108 off 114 balls, Rishabh Pant’s 40-ball 77 and skipper Kohli’s 79-ball 66.
In reply, however, England rode on Jonny Bairstow’s 112-ball 124 and Ben Stokes’ blazing 99 off 52 balls to overhaul the target in just 43.3 overs.
According to Nasser, India’s approach is old-fashioned in the 50-over format and they need to stop playing safe in the first 30 overs.
“India, with two of the greatest white-ball batters there have ever been in their top three — Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli — try to bat normally through the first powerplay,” Hussain wrote in his column for The Daily Mail.
"It's not as if they are slouches when it comes to strike rates, but they take their time and soak up pressure. It's old-fashioned, 50-over cricket from five years ago. It's almost as if they are playing a 30-over game initially in which they are intent on keeping wickets in hand, followed by a Twenty20 innings," he added.
Hussain then went to explain the differences in approach between the two teams.
“Both these teams have very watchable batting line-ups, but there is an intriguing difference between them. While India play to get a par score most times, England look to go above par every time. They (India) see the game so differently. In contrast, England's approach is to see each of those allotted 50 overs as an opportunity to score," he wrote.
The former England batsman further pointed out that India’s slow starts leave them with a par total only.
“On Friday, they were only two wickets down when they hit that final 20, and they know they have Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya in their middle order, who can go ballistic during that period. The problem with setting things up in this way for such a big last ten overs — even though India scored 126 — is that it invariably takes them to a par total," Hussain wrote.
The series-deciding third ODI will be played in Pune on Sunday (March 28).
