The former India skipper, Sourav Ganguly believes India should put a big score for their wrist spinners to come into the match.
India was 15-20 runs short in the last game against England in Cardiff. Thus, the former captain said the spin battery of Kuldeep and Chahal needs a cushion of some more runs.
India had put a paltry score of 148 in the second T20I. Therefore, Ganguly believes it was never going to be enough against the potent England batting line-up.
Furthermore, the English batsmen did their homework against Indian wrist spinners. They took 64 runs from their eight overs and targeted other bowlers.
“They didn’t make enough runs. You cannot win a match by posting a score of 148. England bowled well, the surface was different from Manchester, as there was more grass and it carried a lot of pace, which played to England’s advantage. Kuldeep and Chahal leaked 64 runs and that’s why they won. You expect England to make a comeback in England. It’s a challenging series, the fight will be worth it and surely the same can be expected in the ODIs,” Ganguly told IndiaTV.
Ganguly went on to add Shikhar Dhawan’s run-out was the turning point in the previous match. The visitors lost three quick wickets. Consequently, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina had to do the rebuilding process.
“It’s a T20 match. You have to play shots to score runs. Shikhar Dhawan’s run-out was the turning point of the match. He plays well in these conditions but he should have returned to the crease. After losing three early wickets, India felt the pressure cause Kohli and Raina had to rebuild. As I said, England bowled well. Plunkett had a poor show at Manchester but returned the favors at Cardiff. Willey is an asset for England as he can bat and bowl. It was a good comeback by England. They improved their game as they could tackle Kuldeep and Chahal.”
Meanwhile, India’s limited-overs deputy, Rohit Sharma hasn’t able to hit the ground running with his performances in England.
However, Ganguly is hopeful the India opener will get back to his form in the coming matches.
“It’s been a slow start for him in this series. He’s a good player no doubt as he has scored in these conditions such as the Champions Trophy and the last time India toured England. He’ll slowly find his rhythm. I’m not worried about him and the rest of the Indian batsman. It was a day when England played better than India.”
India will like to make a strong comeback after losing the second T20I. The series decider will be played on Sunday at Bristol.