Though they lost the second One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand, England managed to put in another aggressive performance with the bat. Shiamak Unwalla feels that with their last two performances, England have finally woken up to modern cricket. READ: England out-New Zealand the Black Caps
The times they are a-changing. The ghosts of the contemporary game have possessed the classists. The first ODI was not an abomination. England have well and truly decided that their ways were antiquated. They beat the Black Caps at their own glorious, attacking, refreshing game in the first ODI. They nearly did the same in the second match before the cruel weather gods decreed that there would be rain. England lost crucial momentum when it mattered most, and Messrs Duckworth and Lewis had the final say.
What stood out was the fact that Joe Root failed completely. There is no doubting who the main batsman in the current England side is. That he was out for six did not matter, for Jason Roy and Alex Hales had given a good enough platform for Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, and Jos Buttler to build on. Adil Rashid showed that his 69 in the previous match was not too far out of the ordinary, and Liam Plunkett showed the depth in England’s batting with some massive hits. READ: England’s belated ODI embrace
The challenge now will be to prove that this new England is not a temporary entity; an unnatural spark of brilliance destined to fade once England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) regain their seemingly lost consciousness. The challenge will be for ECB to be patient with the likes of Roy, Hales, and Rashid, never mind the occasional inevitable failures. Roy and Hales are capable of some ferocious batting at the top. In Rashid, England finally look to be having a frontline spinner who can bat quite effectively as well. READ: England vs New Zealand 2015 ODI series: Tale of numbers
It will be interesting to see what happens once Ian Bell, Chris Woakes, James Anderson, Moeen Ali, and Stuart Broad are back in the mix. It will be tempting for the selectors to turn back to the old guard, especially in the event of a couple of failures. For now though, this side looks like an efficient machine. If new England are given the room to flourish, modern cricket will be richer for it.
(Shiamak Unwalla, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a self-confessed Sci-Fi geek who loves cricket more than cricketers. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)
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