'They have 3 lions on their jerseys but they are meowing like a cat' - Aakash Chopra lambasts England's batting in Nagpur ODI

Former cricketer and renowned commentator Aakash Chopra didn't mince his words while criticizing England's batting performance in the first ODI of the series against India. Phil Salt and Ben Duckett got England off to a flying start after Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to bat first.

The openers added 75 runs inside nine overs as Rohit Sharma was searching for answers to stop the onslaught. The wicketkeeper-batter took Harshit Rana for 26 runs in one over to silence the home fans. However, Salt, Duckett, and Harry Brook fell in quick succession, bringing India back into the game.

Joe Root's return to ODI cricket also turned out to be a forgettable one as he was dismissed for 19. Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell scored half-centuries but the visitors were eventually bowled out for 248 in 47.4 overs. While pointing out that the England team have three lions printed on their jerseys, Chopra compared their batting effort to the timidness of cats.

"You opted to bat first after winning the toss and you are unable to score runs. Jos Buttler, of course, scored runs. Jacob Bethell scored runs, which is good news for RCB, but (Harry) Brook is still unable to see the ball," Chopra said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.

"Harshit Rana concedes 26 runs in an over but he comes back and bowls very strongly. However, England's batting is a problem. They do make up for it in bowling, although I felt they were playing with a pacer short. The team is ordinary. They have three lions on their jerseys but they are meowing like a cat," he added.

You will be surprised if I tell you their situation: Aakash Chopra

The former opening batter discussed some stats to highlight England's struggles with the bat in their last three tours of India across the three formats of the game. Furthermore, Chopra also noted that England's inability to bat their full quota of overs in limited-overs cricket is becoming a cause of concern.

Also Read: 'This is a team game' - Sunil Gavaskar lambasts KL Rahul's batting approach in first ODI

"You will be surprised if I tell you their situation. On their last three tours, which include Tests, ODIs and T20Is, they have been bowled out 19 times in 25 innings. Good batting surfaces. They are not playing on any turning pitches," the cricketer-turned-commentator said.

"They are playing on good batting surfaces in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. In the remaining six innings, they have lost nine wickets. How are you batting? If you are unable to bat the entire quota of overs on these pitches, then you have a problem. In ODIs and T20Is, you last 50 overs or 20 overs, but you don't," Chopra observed.

Meanwhile, speaking of the second ODI, the game is scheduled to be held at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, on Sunday, February 9. Another win for India will help them take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.