England laid down a marker for next year’s World Cup by sealing a one-day international series triumph over India with a performance captain Eoin Morgan called “clinical”.
Having thrashed Australia 5-0 last month, the top-ranked ODI side in the world claimed a 2-1 series success over India – their first over that opponent since 2011 – by recording an eight-wicket win in Tuesday’s decider at Headingley.
It was achieved in style, with 33 balls to spare, as Yorkshireman Joe Root reached a record 13th ODI century with a four that he celebrated with a ‘mic-drop’ of his bat.
England had lost the first game of the series by eight wickets but had responded with two mammoth victories of their own that suggested they may be favourites for a 2019 World Cup on home soil.
“We started poorly (but) as the series has gone on we have improved,” England skipper Morgan said.
“It is a benefit of playing a bilateral series. You play against the same team over and over again, it can present different challenges – that constant improvement has been brilliant since Trent Bridge. I thought it was clinical, right from the get go.”
