Three games, two defeats, and almost no room for error. It is not a completely strange position for England to find themselves in, but it does not usually happen quite so quickly. Many members of England’s squad are World Cup winners from four years ago, or from last year’s T20 tournament, and they are used to being favourites.
They are used to walking out being expected – often even by their opponents – to win the game, and going into tournaments being expected to reach finals and win trophies. They are used to having a certain reputation, and they have used it to their advantage. They want to go out and dominate teams and play aggressive cricket, and they are assisted by the confidence that comes with success. Being treated as favourites has helped them to play like favourites. Now we will see how they deal with doubt.
