India run into strong England in ODIs, Kohli under harsh scrutiny.

Surya Kumar Yadav’s creative brilliance could not help India make a clean sweep, but winning the series 2-1 is significant in the context of the international cricket itinerary over the next couple of seasons.

Yadav, or SKY as he is popularly known because of the initials of his name, was in magnificent form in the last T20 match on Sunday, almost taking India home while chasing a massive target of 216.

India’s top order had wobbled badly after England posted a 200-plus score, losing Pant, Kohli and Rohit Sharma early, leaving too much for the middle order to do. But Yadav showed himself equal to the challenge in a knock replete with breathtaking strokes, in the process presenting himself as perhaps the team’s best batsman in this format currently.

However, India’s hunt fizzled out after Yadav fell, giving England a consolation win, and some momentum going into the three-match ODI series starting Tuesday.

While most attention – by all countries – has obviously been on T20s since the World Cup is on the horizon (starting October 16), ODIs, like Test matches, also have enormous importance going ahead. The World Test Championship final is scheduled for mid-2023 in England, and in late 2023 is the ODI World Cup which will be played in India. While teams that will play the T20 World Cup is already known, the WTC is and ODI World Cup are still `open’, so to speak, and dependent on how teams fare from here.

As host nation, India, of course, are certainties for the ODI World Cup, but would still like to go into the tournament on the back of strong performances. In a way, the upcoming series against England starts the countdown towards that objective.

While the T20 series was won fairly easily, India may run into obstacles in the 5-over contest. While both these formats are played with a white ball, he texture and tenor of both are different. They usually also feature different players.

This is one reason why England will pose a stiffer challenge than in the T20 internationals. While the Indian team is unlikely to see many changes among stellar players, especially in the batting, England will benefit a great deal from the inclusion of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and David Bairstow in the top order.

All three have enjoyed a spectacular summer so far. While this success has come in Test matches, the transition to 50-over cricket should not pose a problem. Root and Stokes have been consistent matchwinners in this format for a few years now (memorably in the 2019 WC), and Bairstow is in the form of his life. Moreover, England are playing in home conditions, always an advantage.

True, most of their success in limited overs had come under Eoin Morgan, who has retired, and Jos Buttler has to still find his feet as captain. But Root and Stokes, along with Mooen Ali, Jason Roy and Sam Curran were part of the core team that turned England’s fortunes around in white ball cricket.

All these are in the ODI squad, which also includes limited overs specialists, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Reece Topley, David Willey. This makes England formidable even without leg spinner Adil Rashid who has been given leave by the ECB for his Haj pilgrimage.

On paper, India do not lag too far behind, boasting several high quality players in both batting and bowling. Rohit Sharma is widely regarded as the world’s best white-ball batter and Jasprit Bumrah the best bowler. The squad also includes in-form Surya Yadav, fresh from his dazzling century in the 3rd T20 match, Rishabh Pant, who was a big hit in the Edgbaston Test, Hardik Pandya who was in splendid ll-round form in T20s, Ravindra Jadeja who impressed in the Test and T20s, swing and seam ace Mohamed Shami who forms a lethal opening bowling pair with Bumrah, spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel who have been in good form over the past year or so, are among the many matchwinners in the squad.

But there are concerns too. Both Shreyas Iyer, and particularly Virat Kohli, were below par in the Test as well as the T20s. Their inability to make big scores leaves India vulnerable. This was one of the reasons why the team flopped badly at Edgbaston and failed to win the third T20 on Sunday.

Iyer, a fabulous strokeplayer when on song, has had his shortcoming against the short ball exposed. Doubtless bowlers will test him for this and unless he shows that he has overcome the problem, his place in the Indian team will remain certain, what with so many other batsmen vying for top honours.

The bigger concern is Kohli, far more accomplished, but finds himself in a similar situation as Iyer for a different reason. Kohli’s lean trot has now extended into the third year, which is extraordinary for someone of his calibre and experience. In the Edgbaston Test and two T20s he played, Kohli’s contribution was meagre, despite getting starts almost every time.

The unending failures put his selection for the T20 World Cup too under strain. Kapil Dev, former India captain and great all-rounder, has questioned why Kohli can’t be dropped when R Ashwin could though he was the world’s no.1 bowler. Other voices among former cricketers are beginning to raise the same question.

There is no immediate threat to Kohli’s place in any format. But there is only one way to silence the skeptics: make runs, help the team win. Kohli’s got three matches in this series to turn things around in his favour.