England vs India 2018: Lack of Match Practice Cost the Visitors - MS Dhoni

Former team India skipper, MS Dhoni feels it was missing out on playing practice matches in England before the start of the five-match series that resulted in England winning by a 4-1 margin.

The visiting team played just a three-day practice game against Essex which was played in below-par conditions and against a relatively inexperienced Essex side which didn’t have any international cricketers.

However, MS Dhoni added one shouldn’t forget the fact that India is still the number one Test side in the world despite losing the series by a 4-1 margin.

MS Dhoni reminds everyone that India is still the No one Test side,

“Indian team missed out on playing practices matches before the series, which is why the batsmen are finding it difficult to adjust. This is a part of the game. We shouldn’t forget that India is currently No. 1 in the ranking,” Dhoni was quoted as saying by bdcrictime.com.

Team India lost the 5^th and the final Test against England by 118 runs to surrender the series by a 4-1 margin.

The visitors had been competitive all through the series. However, they failed to seize the opportunities at crucial junctures which resulted in yet another series defeat for them in conditions outside the subcontinent.

Right from the opening Test, they found themselves in a position of going 1-0 up. Later, England thoroughly outplayed India at Lord’s. However, they bounced back strongly to win the 3^rd Test in Nottingham.

India got a huge chance of making it 2-2 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. However, it wasn’t quite possible, as India failed to chase down a total of 245 runs. Right through the series, the bowlers had been in fantastic form. They have found it difficult to get the wickets of the lower-order batsmen at times. However, they have bowled quite magnificently to the top order batters. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni will be back in the Indian colours for the upcoming Asia Cup 2018.

It will be a big tournament for him and the Indian team, as they start preparing for the 2019 World Cup slated to be played in England and Wales next year.