After the Alastair Cook-led England side won the Test series against India, the Eoin Morgan-led T20 side is looking to carry forth the confidence into the shortest format of the game. In the absence of Stuart Broad, England’s T20I skipper, Eoin Morgan will be captaining the side in the two 20-over games that will take place in Pune and Mumbai, before they head off to England for Christmas and New Year.
“It’s a great opportunity for me in these two games against one of the best sides in the world in their backyard. It’s a challenge I am looking forward to,” Morgan told the media ahead of the first match at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium.
“Being vice-captain of the T20 team you are always prepared to take over. I am quite happy to take the reins.”
“As you have seen in the past when the Test side has done well it has a knock on effect. We certainly will be looking to win the next two games and take confidence from the Test side,” Morgan said.
Keen to make most of the chance to lead his side, the middle-order batsman said, “It’s a big opportunity for guys like myself, Bressie [Tim Bresnan] and Samit [Patel] to perform again. It’s going to be mayhem tomorrow and in Mumbai in three days time. So, performing under pressure is what the selectors want to see.”
While speaking about his preparation, Morgan mentioned, “I have had a lot of practice over the last two months [with the Test squad]. And being part of a successful squad has given me lot of confidence because you are always fighting to play in a winning team.”
“The new guys generally bring a bit more energy and the fact that the team has changed so drastically, their energy is evident around the hotel at the moment. So, we have to pick that and take it into the game. My expectations from the guys are quite simple… show courage and skill,” he stated while talking about his side.
Asked about their campaign in Sri Lanka earlier this year, he said, “Sri Lanka was certainly a bit of a disappointment; we did not achieve to our expectations in the crucial games where we needed to. It’s a learning curve and the young guys coming through have fantastic potential and would hopefully perform over the next four-five days.”
“The biggest tip I got before playing in front of such big crowds is to back yourself and nothing changes around you, the ball is the same size, the field is the same size. Keep things simple will be my message to the guys,” the 26-year-old said.
