Azhar Ali's side could get another mauling at Headingley on Thursday, says the Analyst, with complacency the only barrier for the rampant hosts
England are now the proud owners of the highest total in one-day international cricket.
Their 444-3 at Trent Bridge on Tuesday night was an astonishing display of power hitting on the best batting pitch you could possibly imagine.
It even came without the benefit of Johannesburg’s thin air that helped South Africa post their previous two scores of over 430.
The Pakistan bowlers will not have recovered their composure in time for the fourth match at Headingley on Thursday afternoon.
They could get another mauling.
But what England really want is to be proud owners of the Champions Trophy next year, and the World Cup in 2019 – a competition that began in 1975 and which they have never won.
And as they continue to trounce the hapless Pakistanis in this series, they are heading in the right direction.
Their batting has withering strength and depth and their bowling is looking increasingly potent, as they grow into their roles and fine tune their variations.
But their fielding still requires improvement.
Two eminently catchable chances were put down yesterday – a relatively easy one to Alex Hales and a slighter harder opportunity to Jos Buttler.
A better side than Pakistan would have made England pay for those mistakes.
But England’s batsmen marmalized the Pakistan bowling.
Alex Hales unleashed some massive blows in his record-breaking innings, although he had several slices of luck. His confidence is now restored.
Joe Root was his usual fluent and nimble self, sensibly giving the strike to Hales.
But the best batting actually came from Buttler in his first extended outing since breaking his finger in July.
His striking is extraordinary in its effortless ease and colossal power.
One shot – little more than an easy swing of the bat – sent the ball onto the roof of the Radcliffe Road stand, a distance of at least 100m.
His one-day strike rate of 120 is the third best in the history of the 50-over game.
It is virtually impossible to know how to contain him.
He is England’s X factor.
But England’s batting can still improve. Unbelievably there were 117 dot balls in their record-breaking innings which illustrates that 500 is now achievable in a 50-over match.
It probably won’t happen in this series.
But with the power of these modern batsmen, the short boundaries and two hard balls throughout the innings – rather than one that gets progressively softer during the 50 overs – it is achievable.
Poor Pakistan. They are just mere spectators in England’s intended ascent to the summit of one-day international cricket.
It is hard to see how they can avoid losing this series 5-0. But they could start by trying to hold their catches, getting their bodies in the way of the ball and keeping their front foot behind the line.
Get the basics right.
At the moment making runs is too easy for these England batsmen.
Complacency is the hosts’ only enemy. But 41 years of hurt should ward that off.
