Ek waqt tha jab England ki ODI team ko dekh kar lagta tha ki yeh Champions 2019 ke hangover se bahar nahi aa paa rahe. Magar Durham ke maidan par jo hua, usne saaf kar diya hai ki Harry Brook aur Brendon McCullum ki jodi white-ball cricket mein naya inquilaab laane ke liye taiyaar hai. Will Jacks ne dikha diya ki kyun unhe white-ball cricket ka next big thing mana jata hai. Batting mein tabahi aur bowling mein 5-for, Sri Lankan team ke paas iska koi tod nahi tha.
To Hua esa hai ki:
Pehle batting karte hue England ki shuruat thodi shaky rahi. Tom Banton saste mein nikal gaye, lekin Joe Root aur Harry Brook ne paari ko sambhala. Harry Brook ne 67 runs ki shandaar innings kheli, jo dono teams ki taraf se akela 50+ score tha. Beech mein Sri Lanka ke debutant leg-spinner Sachindu Colombage ne apni ghumti ballo se England ko thoda pareshan zaroor kiya. Colombage ne Joe Root aur Jos Buttler jaise bade naam ko chalta kiya, lekin tabhi entry hui Will Jacks ki.
Will Jacks ne 46 runs ki unbeaten paari khel kar team ko 265 tak pahunchaya. Jab Sri Lanka chase karne utri, toh unka top-order Jofra Archer aur Josh Tongue ki raftaar ke samne surrenders karta nazar aaya. Kusal Mendis ne 42 runs banakar thodi fight dikhayi, lekin phir Jacks ne ball thami aur poora scene hi badal diya. 5 wickets lekar unhone Sri Lankan batting ki reedh ki haddi tod di. 265 ka target jo competitive lag raha tha, Jacks ke spell ke baad Sri Lanka ke liye Mount Everest ban gaya aur poori team 176 par simat gayi.
Analysis & Numbers
- Will Jacks ne 5 wickets liye sirf 22 runs dekar, jo kisi bhi England spinner dwara ODI cricket mein dusra sabse best figure hai.
- Harry Brook ki kaptaani mein England ne pichle 7 ODIs mein se 5 matches jeete hain, jo unki badalti hui approach ka saboot hai.
- Debut kar rahe Sachindu Colombage ne 44 runs dekar 3 wickets liye, jo Sri Lanka ke liye is match mein ekmatra silver lining rahi.
- England ne pichle 4 saalon mein apna sabse kam target (265) successfully defend kiya hai.
The Guru Gyan Verdict:
England ki yeh jeet unke liye ek warning bell hai baaki teams ke liye. McCullum aur Brook ki pair white-ball mein wahi naya darr paida kar rahi hai jo kabhi Eoin Morgan ke dour mein tha. Will Jacks jaise all-rounders kisi bhi team ke liye gold hote hain. Wahin dusri taraf, Pakistan ko dekh lijiye, jo ranking mein upar neeche hote rehte hain lekin consistency ke naam par zero hain. England ne 2023 World Cup ke zakhamo se seekh li hai aur ab woh 2027 ki taiyari kar rahe hain, jabki padosi mulk abhi bhi purani purani baaton mein uljha hua hai. Sri Lanka ko agar whitewash se bachna hai, toh unhe spins ke khilaf better plan lana hoga, warna Jacks aur Rashid unhe ghar jaane layak bhi nahi chodenge.
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