England team sweats it out in the Eden nets

England warm up prior to their practice session on the eve of the third ODI against India at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday. Pic/PTI

Kolkata: It takes two to tango but, as their lengthy two-part tour of India labours towards its conclusion, England find themselves horribly out of step. Overwhelmed 0-4 in the Test series before the Christmas break, their ODI outfit too has failed to stop Virat Kohli's juggernaut. The ODI series lost too, Eoin Morgan's men are searching for inspiration before today's final match at Eden Gardens.

The visitors needn't look far; they may find belief embedded in the two disappointing defeats. England will do well to see positives to build on rather than be hard on themselves. A team that scores 350 and 366 in consecutive matches will believe their batting is in good health, and it's only that they are up against a team that could better those. England will have to find a way to disrupt the run-machine they face. On wickets that lend themselves well to the flaunting of batting brilliance, the key probably lies with the bowling unit. England's attack thus far has smacked of a lack of planning, and have often slipped into predictability - a weakness teams like India will always exploit to telling effect. Variations, particularly those in pace, have been woefully absent.

England opener Alex Hales has had to return home with a fractured hand and Sam Billings is expected to fill the slot. With Hales having failed in both matches, it may well be a blessing in disguise. In contrast, Shikhar Dhawan's sore thumb seems to have subsided sufficiently. The southpaw, who too has struggled to get among runs, batted at the nets and looked none the worse for the flare-up. Having sealed the series, India may well want to give him another opportunity. MS Dhoni led a group of nine that turned up for an 'optional practice' while England had their full squad go through a rigorous three-hour session. England will want to prove they can match India.