Jason Roys laments lack of big scores; urges England to be on top against 'classy' India

Having squandered the opportunity to put serious pressure on the hosts India, England will be desperate to get back to winning ways in the third T20I of the series. 

England were outclassed in all the departments by India, who had to deal with a similar treatment in the first game. Indian batsmen batted with more freedom and fluency than the Englishmen, while the Indian bowlers picked suitable lines and lengths for a pitch that suited off pace deliveries. If that was not enough, easy chances dropped in the outfield took the visitors completely out of contention. 

With the series standing at a square 1-1 position, it makes up for a three-match series going forward and the team winning the next game will have some sort of psychological advantage.

Having seen England struggle with the bat on a sluggish pitch, a change seems to be unlikely given the third match is going to be played on red soil. Having said that, the confidence in the English camp has not deterred by the big loss in the last game. Instead, they are taking heart from their equally big win over India in the first game, and are itching to get on the field to snatch the lead away from India.

"I'm very confident we can bounce back. It's easier said than done, India are a class team. But the way we started the series in that first game was more comprehensive than what they gave to us on Sunday, so I think going into the third game we're still full of confidence,” England opener Jason Roy said in the pre-match press conference on Monday.

He pointed out the difference in batting in the early overs vs the later phases of the game. While the English could manage to score runs a bit more fluently early on, they struggled massively against cutters bowled at them in the final few overs. But for Roy, the England side is filled with quick learners and he is hopeful that the fluidity in the batting line should provide results in the next game.

"We found the last eight overs of our batting a little bit difficult but I think the boys will bounce back - we're a fast-learning side so I don't think there's been a huge amount of wind out of our sails to be honest,” Roy added.

Roy has been the shining light for England batting order as he has been belting bowlers around against the new ball. He was a dominant force with the bat while chasing a low score against India in the first game, while his second innings was a mixed with graft, struggle and mishits. 

His 35-ball-46 in the second game kept England in the hunt but his wicket in the 12th over broke the back of England batting. He conceded that lack of big scores from the top order is the need of the hour for England and that scores of 'forties' which he has produced in the last two games look great on scorecards but don’t provide impetus to set competitive totals on the scoreboard.

"I'm still looking for that big score. Those forties are great and look good on the scoreboard but to get 180s, 190s and very competitive totals in T20, you need someone to go on and get a big score. So as happy as I am there's still a lot to improve on,” Roy added.

Roy was looking desperate to take on Indian spinners and attempted reverse sweeps off Chahal on numerous occasions before pulling off two in the ninth over of England innings.

He then attempted to take the game to Washington Sundar who until that point had bowled brilliant in the powerplay. He thought of taking a calculated risk against the off-spinner but it did not work out as he had planned. 

"What I learned was just to make sure I was staying on my shots a little bit more," he added. "I was a bit out of position with a couple of my reverse-sweeps, and then rectified that during my innings. But it's a pitch where you've got to pick your bowler. Unfortunately the bowler I picked got me out. If that over had gone for a few runs, it would have swayed the momentum of our innings quite a bit."

Roy conceded that he went out of his comfort zones in terms of choosing shots to attack spinners and that but has no regret of failing in the attempt of pushing for big runs as the T20 format demands batsmen to live on the edge where they have to put their wickets on the sword.

"It was a calculated risk but didn't go my way. If I hadn't got out, then a big score was probably around the corner. That's just the way T20 goes. If you live by the sword, you've got to be willing to die by it."

Roy has been one of the mainstays for England in the white-ball formats and his success in the next three games of the series will matter for the fortunes of England in the ongoing series. Also, his success on Indian pitches will also give England confidence about their preparation for the World T20.