Topley ‘riding the wave’ as England face India in ODI decider

Reece Topley expects an influx of India fans at Old Trafford to make Sunday’s ODI series decider feel “like an away game” for England – but he admits he is enjoying “riding the wave”.

Manchester was the birthplace of the ‘Bharat Army’, India’s worldwide supporters’ group, and the city can be relied upon to provide colourful support whenever the team are in town.

Thousands of fans in the area were denied the chance to see their heroes in action last September, when the concluding Test between England and India was postponed a couple of hours before it was due to start, and they will be eager to make up for lost time during the third one-day international.

“I’m expecting a pretty good atmosphere in Manchester,” Topley said, “almost like an away game really, but that’s the kind of thing you want.”

A thrilling summer setting England against India across all forms of cricket comes to a head as the two sides face off live on Sky Sports Cricket to decide who will take the three-match one-day series, which is finely poised at 1-1.

England got the titanic tussle off to a flying start as majestic centuries from Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow earned them victory in the fifth and final Test at Edgbaston last month with a record run chase, levelling the series at 2-2.

Then, Jos Buttler’s reign as white-ball skipper got off to a disappointing start as India won the first two of three T20 internationals, before England finished the series by taking the third match as a consolation.

India dished out a thrashing in the opening ODI, where 110 all out was England’s lowest one-day total against India, before a blistering display of bowling from Topley at Lord’s took the series to Sunday’s showdown.

Both teams have traded dominant wins – India by 10 wickets at the Oval and then England by 100 runs at Lord’s – and the stage is set for a grandstand finale.

“It is a big game, I’ve just got to prepare for that and hopefully wrap up the series. Especially with a World Cup in October, you want those ‘win or you’re out of it’ sort of games. It’s good to practice with those kind of games,” Topley said.

The 28-year-old insists he will remain level-headed after his remarkable showing at Lord’s, where he claimed 6-24.

“It was pretty crazy, not something that you necessarily set out for at the start of your career, but it’s about backing it up and going again,” Topley said.

“It’s about enjoying the moment but not getting too high and trying to win the series for us. At the end of the day, we’re in a series and it’s 1-1. I enjoy it, I ride the wave, but there’s everything to play for at the weekend.

“There are so many variables. At the top of my mark for each ball, it’s about how I’m getting in the game. But then you need a lot of things at the other end to go your way.”

There is a lot more to come for England, with six more white-ball games against South Africa, across both formats, before the end of an action-packed month.

“I just take that series by series. I’ve got an end goal that I want to be at the World Cup, I want to contribute and be in the team,” Topley said.

“It’s about taking each day as it comes and trying to get better to attain that goal.”

Willey: We trust our methods

David Willey, whose crucial 41 with the bat helped pull England out of a sticky situation in the second ODI win, insisted team spirit can carry them over the line.

“I think the dressing room is a fantastic place to be,” Willey said. “We always talk about the things we do well and how we want to play cricket, and that’s never going to change.

“I think from when this groups came together in 2015, we’ve always talked about how we want to play and that doesn’t change.

“We trust our method, and that’s why we’ve been so successful and the boys have won the World Cup and that doesn’t change now because we got rolled for 100 last week.

“Everyone loves being a part of it and playing white-ball cricket because it is so much fun. These two games are set up for a great game up in Manchester on Sunday.”

Watch the England vs India ODI series decider live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am.