Cricket: England must play Indian way

So dominant against the same opposition during the summer, England have looked a poor shadow of that side in the more febrile atmosphere of the sub-continent and in conditions that suit the wristy Indian batsmen and their plethora of spinners.

This should be no surprise. Many countries struggle in India. They play a lot more one-day cricket than Test cricket and the nature of the pitches and the shortened game means India’s batsmen can play without fear of having their heads knocked off.

Instead they play the ball from waist high and down with powerful punches, flicks and elegant glides that allows them to keep the scoreboard moving.

England players brought up on bouncier pitches tend to play with firmer wrists and a straight bat, which makes moving the ball around the field much more difficult. That is why England score off fewer deliveries.

Thankfully there were encouraging signs in the third ODI Mohali on Thursday as England scored 298. Kevin Pietersen proved he is still necessary with a superb half century. His partnership with Jonathan Trott was a potentially match-winning one.

And Samit Patel’s undefeated 70 in the final ten overs was a fantastic display of intelligent hitting.

The batting was not a problem. Instead it was the bowling and fielding that was shocking. Craig Kieswetter endured a horror show behind the stumps, Stuart Broad is sorely missed and Graeme Swann has been somewhat subdued.

In the remaining two games, starting today, manager Andy Flower needs to develop a gameplan for sub-continental conditions and choose the players most likely to fulfil it. Going at a run a ball in the power play overs is not good enough. England need to develop more clinical hitting in the opening overs, which means captain Alastair Cook is going to have to take responsibility. Then they have to unsettle the spinners.

It will be difficult but absolutely vital if they are to win a match in India.