A few weeks ago, if you would have asked anyone about the top World Cup games to look forward to, India vs England in Lucknow would have been in the list of most. It was placed in the middle of both teams’ campaigns and there was a keenness to see how Bazball would go about against the Men in Blue in their own backyard.
Nearly four weeks and four England defeats later, the mood has now completely changed as the defending champions are not only realistically out of the top-four race but have looked very flat ever since they landed in India. Except the 137-run win over Bangladesh, the Three Lions are yet to roar and have been outplayed by New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The Jos Buttler-led unit is struggling at ninth position in the points table and not only need four wins but plenty of results to go their way for the top-four spot.
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Looking at the defending champions in Lucknow, there is no air of the invincibility they have enjoyed in the last few years with 2019 World Cup and 2022 World Cup titles in their cabinet. The body language, interactions with the media have been largely flat and it looks like they are just looking to get done with the remaining fixtures.
So done that England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick is already talking about the Test series against India in January next year.
“I haven’t looked at the pitch out there so it might be it might turn it might be slow but it’d be good preparation for some of the guys from back in January for the Test matches probably,” says Trescothick at the pre-match media interaction in Lucknow.
The former England opener rued that the side hasn’t performed to potential and batting has let them down this World Cup as no one except Dawid Malan has a big score in the tournament.
“We’ve only had one really big score, haven’t we? Dawid [Malan] got 100 against Bangladesh. Yeah. So, we could do with a few more. Obviously, we need to – that’s the level we expect it to be and having the bigger scores because in 50 over competitions there’s room for 150’s, 180’s, 200’s as we’ve seen so we need a few bigger performances to put in the bigger scores for us over the long 50 overs,” says Trescothick.
ICC World Cup: Schedule | Results | Points Table | Most Runs | Most Wickets
There was activity during the team’s practice session in the afternoon but it was clearly lacking intensity. Ben Stokes was sending down gentle off-spinners to Harry Brook, net bowlers were in operation and there was some music playing in the background. The only bit of excitement was felt when Trescothick spoke about playing against India in front of a “big crowd”.
“I think playing against India in a World Cup in their own country is that’s a special part of the game you know you get these opportunities that come around – you know there’ll be a big crowd, there’ll be a wonderful occasion. We’re looking forward to that chance. I think there’s nothing more that we can offer apart from going out and playing that performance. And then hopefully you come out on top at the end of it.
“It’s exciting. I think having been where we’ve been and coming now into this game, the buzz of what it will be, you know, building up for the game and then into the game tomorrow will be good. So, really excited for it,” says Trescothick.
There’s not much England can do except putting their best foot forward against unbeaten India tomorrow. Something Buttler & Co. haven’t managed to do in the tournament so far.
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