Eoin Morgan will be back for England for the opening ODI against Australia.© AFP
Eoin Morgan is hoping for spinning pitches during England’s one-day series against Australia as the world champions plan for the 2023 World Cup in India. The England captain is anticipating a gentle turner in Manchester, where the fierce rivals will play three one-day internationals over the next week, with weather conditions conducive to slow bowlers. England’s rise to top spot in the 50-over rankings was built around posting big totals on good batting tracks and their tournament triumph last summer was driven by their pace attack.
But with the next World Cup due to be held in India in three years’ time, as well as a T20 World Cup there next year, Morgan is embracing the need for change.
“It’s a huge benefit to us playing at Old Trafford, particularly if we play on the wicket I think we’re going to play on which will hopefully be slow and take a lot of turn,” he said.
“That’s the sort of wicket we will be more than likely to play on in India in the World Cup of 2023 and to play on that for a period of time will expose us in different areas we need to get better at.
“Over the course of the last four-and-a half years we have had to wait to play at Cardiff or Old Trafford or go away on tour to experience those conditions. So hopefully a little more of that will help us get better at what we need to do on those sort of pitches.”
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The three-match ODI series starts on Friday, following a Twenty20 series in Southampton, which England won 2-1.
The match at Old Trafford will be the first 50-over contest between the sides since England won last year’s World Cup semi-final on their way to lifting the trophy.
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