'I’ve been working 100 per cent on how to cover all bases on sub-continent...'
Thursday 20 November 2014 15:08, UK
Chris Jordan’s evolution as an England player is about to enter a new phase.
On Sunday the 26-year-old flies with the squad to Sri Lanka for the first time determined to build on a breakthrough year and help repair England’s patchy 50-over form with bat and ball.
Alastair Cook’s side will begin their seven-match one-day series in Colombo on Wednesday week as clear underdogs despite Sri Lanka’s latest slaughter at the hands of India on Thursday, when Rohit Sharma ran amok to score a world-record 264.
Jordan – like all who saw it – watched Sharma’s knock in awe but, ever-mindful of the need to improve, also imagined himself in the line of fire.
“One shot really stuck out for me in particular – the ball was full outside off-stump and Sharma still played a ridiculous helicopter shot for six!” he said.
“It’s nice to watch a game like that when you are not playing and imagine what you might do in the same situation because you always have to think on your feet as a bowler and try to work out the best possible plan for someone who is in that kind of form.
“Obviously you are always trying to get a batsman out but sometimes in that situation it might be better to give him one and bowl at the other batter!”
Pressure
Jordan is no stranger to tackling top-order aggression – the first six of his 14 ODI appearances to date coming against Australia and their heavyweight top three – but this will be his first tour on the sub-continent.
“The initial challenge will be to adapt to the different conditions as quickly as possible,” said the Sussex all-rounder, who will help spearhead England’s attack in the injury-enforced absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
“Going out there a little bit earlier will give us a better chance to adjust and understand what sort of cricket we need to play to get the most out of the wickets.
“I’ve heard that the pitch in Colombo might go through quite nicely but the other pitches will be lower and slower, so you have to get your slower ball and fielding placements right – and bowl a lot straighter too.
“I’ve been working 100 per cent on how to cover all bases so that if I need to draw on a particular skill at a particular time I’m in a good position to do that. I like bowling in pressure situations and think my game is well-equipped to bowling in the powerplays and at the death; if I’m called upon to do it, I’m more than happy.
“It’s not necessarily all about bowling yorkers because the pitch might be a little bit slower and cutters might be the better option. If you have good plans and you set good fields to that, it can be pretty effective at the death as well.
“I’m sure that if we can get close to having clarity in those things then I’m sure we can put in some really good performances in Sri Lanka and possibly surprise some people. Being underdogs doesn’t bother me at all. It gives us the chance to express ourselves and play a brand of cricket that we really enjoy.”
Dream
A post-season break from the game has given Jordan the chance to reflect on an English summer in which he played five of seven Tests, helping to demolish India at The Oval with match figures of 7-50, after leaving an irrepressible mark in the 50-over format.
If his all-round cameo in the first ODI against Sri Lanka, in which he struck 38no off 13 balls and took 3-25, ignited hopes of a substantial talent taking root, his rip-roaring return of 5-29 in the third ODI announced that this was a guy poised to rip it up in all international formats.
The second of these man-of-the-match performances, at Old Trafford, gives Jordan greatest heart coming as it did after England were shot out for 99 in the second ODI at Chester-le-Street.
“I’m someone who is quite hard on myself so while it was a dream to be named man-of-the-match at The Oval I felt that at Durham in particular I didn’t do myself justice.
“To bounce back at Old Trafford in the manner in which we did and bowl Sri Lanka out for 67 was another high; it was one of my proudest moments in an England shirt so far, up there with when I got man-of-the-match in the T20 in Barbados a lot of my friends and family watching me play international cricket for the first time.”
Learned
Another proud moment could be just around the corner.
“It’s my dream to play in a World Cup and if given the opportunity I’ll relish the situation,” said Jordan, who fully intends to draw on his experiences in Australia at the start of 2014.
“I learned a whole lot; you had batsmen like David Warner and Aaron Finch coming at you from ball one and you have to hold your nerve and your length, and keep trusting bowling your best ball.
“Playing on those pitches and conditions against that type of aggression was a challenge and I really think it will stand me in good stead.”
Chris Jordan is the official ambassador of Octopus Investments, one of the UK’s fastest growing retail fund management companies. To find out more head to: www.octopusinvestments.com
Watch England’s tour of Sri Lanka, starting with the first of seven one-day internationals, live on Sky Sports 2 from 8am on Wednesday November 26.
