How can so much change in a month?
Vic Marks, writing in the Guardian , questions how Alastair Cook's side could deflate so quickly after their undefeated summer against India, and looks at technical handicaps that seem to be plaguing the visitors.
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Vic Marks, writing in the Guardian, questions how Alastair Cook's side could deflate so quickly after their undefeated summer against India, and looks at technical handicaps that seem to be plaguing the visitors.
England, so sensationally competent throughout the summer of 2012, are suddenly devoid of savvy, and surly to boot. Any good side can lose two consecutive ODIs, but to be beaten so emphatically is alarming. Associate countries lose by these sorts of massive margins.
The Indian batsmen can clear the boundary all right, but on low-bouncing pitches they are not so obsessed by target hitting, which England now diligently practise on the eve of each match. England's batsmen keep bashing the ball out of the ground in training. On match days they have usually run out of wickets before having a chance to put that practice into action. The Indians play late; England just seem to want to hit hard.
Ashish Magotra, writing for Firstpost.com, says not so long ago Australia firmly established that great sides win home and away. Where, he asks, does that leave today's form teams?
For England and India – all the talk of number one has no meaning – if they can’t win away from home. Yes, these wins are important for India. But at the end of the day, they only prove what we already knew, India are tough to beat at home; in fact, they are very tough to beat at home. And for England too, the wins in England mattered. They were up against the best Test team in the world and they thoroughly slaughtered them. But then when you see them walk around like lost sheep, you can’t help but wonder… how do top teams lose the plot so easily?
Nikita Bastian is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo