INDvENG: England up for Ashwin-Jadeja challenge, says skipper Morgan

The England limited-overs team under Eoin Morgan has played some fearless cricket since the premature exit in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. Nine of the Test players who were thrashed 0-4 in the series in November-December will be in action in the ODI series, the first game of which starts here on Sunday.

England are a totally transformed unit when it comes to playing limited-overs. Morgan, 30 and left-handed batsman at No. 4, did not know the reason why it did not work in the Tests. He said he would not call his ODI team "fearless" but a unit that would like to play their own way.

"I would just like to think we like to play in our own way. The group of players that we have are very outgoing, very expansive and very explosive, and do what they say they’re going to do, they can stick to their natural game which is quite an aggressive game. Trying to be somebody else or trying to be a different team doesn’t work for us. We try to be ourselves and be comfortable within our skins. and I think that has worked," Morgan said here on Saturday, the eve of the first ODI.

"Regardless of how they’ve done guys (in Tests), they really look forward to how they play the 50-over and T20 game. It’s something you know. It’s a nice way to play cricket regardless of you win, lose or draw. With that attitude you had as a kid, you wake up on the weekend and all you wanted to day was play cricket. You look out the window and hope the sun was shining. So that kind of attitude is very important."

The Dublin-born Morgan said that the challenge of playing in India is huge. "But it’s one that’s not impossible. It’s happened recently. South Africa turned India over (2015-16), New Zealand pushed them close (losing 2-3 in October 2016). It’s nice to be able to come to a country, where there is a huge hype and expectation on the series, not necessarily on us. Even if it was on us, the emphasis has always been internally as a side, and I’m trying to get them all set. One of the biggest challenges here is adapting to conditions."

The Morgan-led England finished runners-up in last year's ICC World T20 and England will draw confidence from the fact that they have played in similar conditions. "Coming to that tournament (World T20) in particular, this group of players has never played cricket in India. I think there were four of us who’ve toured here before. Having toured here and done well and overcome the mental battle of pitches — some just don't turn and some do — you’ve to be responsive and stay in the moment as long as you can, and react as best you can to those circumstances. I think it worked for us in that tournament, and hopefully, it’ll work for us throughout this series," said the left-handed batsman.

Morgan is pleased to have a wide variety to chose from, especially after Sam Billings and Jonny Bairstow scored half-centuries in the two warm-up games in Mumbai earlier this week at No. 3 but have to make way to Joe Root for the ODIs.

Morgan said: "I think it’s great to have those guys in form. For the last couple of years, our batting unit as a whole has been extremely strong. It wouldn’t say it’s well set, but it is a very difficult unit to get into. Everybody has performed at some stage over the last two years, and when they have done, they’ve contributed in series wins, majority of the time, particularly the batters. Like I say to the guys who always miss out ‘you gotta take the chance when it comes, and when it comes it, just make the most of it'. So it's great that they’re in form and it gives us a wide selection option  to choose from."

Medium-pacer Liam Plunkett has come to the series with a niggle, he missed out on the first warm-up game due to right calf and bowled a couple of overs in the second. Morgan said, "Plunkett's fitness is coming along really nicely. He will be fit for selection tomorrow (Sunday). He obviously came on tour with a bit of a niggle but has built it up nicely. He didn’t bowl as much as we would have liked the other day but he will be available for selection."

On the other medium-pacers in the side, left-armer David Willey and right-armer Chris Woakes, Morgan said that these bowlers got enough experience as they head into the Champions Trophy in June in England and also looking at the long-term World Cup in 2019, also in England.

Morgan said, "Fifty-over cricket is cruel nowadays. You know two new balls were brought in with the intention of stopping the batters. But I think, in fact, it has made the ball harder for longer periods. Probably, when you look back 10 years ago, the white ball used to swing. It doesn’t swing anymore for some reason. You can only have four fielders outside the circle. So it’s about having a positive attitude of taking wickets all the time. Because nowadays people seem to naturally go for runs. Doesn’t matter how good you are. It takes a sort of a long period of time to work your own game out and also in different conditions.

"David Willey hasn’t been around that long. He’s still quite ready. He’s learning. That along with a positive attitude is important to understand the context of where our bowling unit is at the moment. Batting is a bit further ahead but our bowling unit is coming along nicely. It will take time. It’s important that we stick to that group of players. Because when we first started with this group of players there were 95 games to when the 2019 World Cup began. So it’s important that they get these games under the belt. Willey has been impressive. His strike-rate in the first spell has been brilliant. He swung the ball around. Might not swing much here, might be completely different. But certainly at home where the Champions Trophy is in June and the World Cup in 2019 I see him being effective."

Facing the Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the ODIs will not be much different from facing them in Tests, where they dominated. Morgan said it will always be a challenge. "It’s always going to be a challenge. It’s like coming to England and facing swing bowling. Playing anybody in their home conditions is a challenge and how you adapt to that and how you negotiate that I think can determine where a game is won or lost."