We have a team that can win all the seven matches - Moeen Ali

England and South Africa are battling it out in a three-match ODI series. The first of them was played at Headingley yesterday. England toppled the mighty South African side with a thumping 72 run victory. Moeen Ali, who played his part well in the first game with an impressive 77 run knock.

Ali and his captain, Eoin Morgan stitched an excellent partnership to take England past 300. The 29-year-old said that he was not batting well in the nets but some last minute advice from the batting coach helped him at the crease. ”I actually wasn’t batting that well in the nets, I went inside with Paul Farbrace, and he knows my game quite well now. I had a chat with him, and he helped — and I felt in a good rhythm going into this match.”

”Even towards the end of my innings there were a couple I tried to slog, and I lost my shape. Then the last ball I tried to keep my shape as much as I could. It’s more an instinctive way of batting, and Farby helped me a lot,” Ali explained.

The Brit is still getting used to his new number seven spot as he admitted that he is still adapting to the same. ”I find batting seven tough. But I’m trying to be good at it and get better at it.” However, he might find a way back up the order as Ben Stokes hurt his knee during the game. England might not play him as a precaution as they await the scan result.

England went 1-0 up the three-match series but are not going to let any kind of complacency creeping in. Ali was wary of the threat the South Africans possess and was of the same opinion. He said, “We’re only 1-0 up with two games to go, but it’s a great start to the summer.”We were 2-0 up against them in South Africa (in 2015/16) and we lost 3-2. They’re a very good side, and we know that.”

On the chances of lifting the Champions Trophy:

Ali also said that England can win the Champions Trophy as this team is full of winners. “We’ve got the team that is capable of (winning our next seven matches),” he stated. England will look to wrap the series up in the next game and go in the Champions Trophy with all the confidence in the world. They host Bangladesh in the opening game at The Oval on June 1.