England’s struggles in white-ball cricket continued as they suffered another setback in the ongoing ODI series against India. Former England wicketkeeper Matt Prior joined the chorus of critics questioning Jos Buttler’s team after they surrendered the series with back-to-back losses. Having already been outplayed 4-1 in the T20I series, England’s woes deepened with a four-wicket defeat in the second ODI in Cuttack, where they failed to defend 305 on a batting-friendly surface.
While Kevin Pietersen had earlier pointed out England’s lack of hunger to convert starts into big scores, Prior shifted focus to the bowlers and the fielding unit. He expressed concerns over how comfortably India chased the target, particularly highlighting Rohit Sharma’s dominant innings of 119 off 90 balls.
“The worrying part is how easily India chased 305. Yes, they lost some wickets towards the end, but that was more due to boredom as they tried to finish things quickly,” Matt Prior said on TNT Sports. He acknowledged that while Mark Wood bowled with pace, raw speed alone wasn’t enough on Indian pitches. “You have to be accurate, execute properly, and put pressure on the batters. England had no answer to Rohit, who was just too good on the day.”
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Prior further analyzed England’s struggles, noting that India’s top order effortlessly absorbed pressure and counterattacked with confidence. “Wood was steaming in, but Rohit had an answer to everything. It was a masterclass in controlled aggression.”
England’s total was decent at 305, the openers got some runs going, and Joe Root got runs, but there was not too much going about the team on the whole. Fielding also says a lot about the psyche of a side, and on that front, England looked woefully sloppy. A major concern for England has been their inability to replicate India’s bowling success. In seven white-ball games on this tour, England’s pacers have failed to bowl India out even once, while India has dismantled England’s batting lineup five times.
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“For me, it’s clear they haven’t played enough 50-over cricket. There were too many basic errors—it just looked lackluster,” Matt Prior added. “The talent is there, but they need to sharpen up in key areas. This is a world-class squad, but they have to step up and execute their plans properly.”
With the series already lost, England will aim for a consolation win in the third and final ODI in Ahmedabad on February 12.
