The Alastair Cook-led England side will be looking to reverse their fortunes when they take the field at JSCA. After losing the second ODI to India, they will be hoping to bounce back in the five-match series.
After taking a day off, the England team today practiced at the JSCA’s new stadium for the third ODI, which will be played here on January 19. Speaking about the match, middle-order batsman, Eoin Morgan said, “I am a massive believer in the first match of the series. The result sets the tone for the series. It is the first blow. It is like a boxing match. Again, every game is important and a win here would be massive.”
When asked if bowling in the death overs is an area of concern, after the way the last match panned out, Morgan replied, “It is a very short period to say that they did not come out well in the last ten, given the first 40 overs were absolutely immaculate and set us up perfectly. It was a matter of not executing the plans. We had plans and did the right thing in the first 40 overs, but did not carry it into the last ten overs. On top of that, you had one of the best batsmen in the world having set the platform already.”
And when asked if while batting, playing spin was an area of concern, he said, “I don’t think so, given that in the Test we played in Mumbai, we did well with the ball turning and bouncing. We underperformed in Kochi. We have learned some lessons, which we have to go back to. The bottom line is when we do perform, we test India. As you have seen in the first game, we came out the better side.”
Discussing his team’s ploy going into the Ranchi game, he said, “We have a specific strategy against everybody. We have game plans. We have done research and a lot of homework on each of them.”
Describing the venue, which will be hosting its first ever international game, as beautiful, Morgan added, “It’s my first time here and the change rooms are massive; the gym is massive. Everything is modern and looks ahead of its time.”
When asked if India skipper, MS Dhoni, would be under extra pressure in his hometown, Morgan said “I think he is always going to be under pressure given the type of player he is and the character he is. He is the captain of India. He has got billions of people’s [hopes riding] on his shoulders. He has got the huge responsibility of captaining this massive country and the pressure is always there, and being in his hometown might [add to it].”
Speaking about the festive surroundings and the huge crowd waiting to catch a glimpse of cricketers in Ranchi, Morgan said “It is certainly different to what we are used to back in England. Having played here over the years, you get used to the surroundings that revolve around cricket. Cricket in this country is huge. It is indescribably big and everything that surrounds it; it’s fanatical. We have got used to it at this stage. Even the trip from the airport to the hotel, with the streets lined up [with crowds], just for a team turning up was amazing.”
When asked how this fanfare affects cricketers, he said, “The only way it would affect you is when you are not involved in the game, when you are not doing something. Once you are out there and get a flow of things, it gets easier. Again, the atmosphere is amazing. Playing over here is as good as anywhere else in the world. It is absolutely not intimidating. We as a team embrace the atmosphere and everything that surrounds the game here.”
Discussing England’s progress in the 50-over format ahead, he observed, “Yes things have improved as the records suggest. The only real blip we have had since Alastair [Cook] took over was the last trip we had to India. We learnt a lot of lessons from that. When we were here last time, we went away from our principle of taking the emotions away from the game and concentrating on what we do best. Along with that, in the last year and a half, together as a team, we have been brilliant and with that we have got a lot of success. [We’ve had] huge performances by the skipper and there have been contributions throughout from everybody.”
When asked about the measures taken to safeguard cricket from the evils of performance enhancing drugs, which are again in the public eye after Lance Armstrong’s recent confession, he said, “In the last year or so we have been tested five or six times. […] While [you are] on tour and are involved in cricket, you can be tested anytime of the day, anywhere in the world. It’s well monitored within cricket. […] If I have to do something outside of cricket, I have to check and change my diary, so that someone can test me wherever I am. It [usage of performance enhancing drugs] should be eradicated from every sport.”
