England's defence of their World Cup title continued to falter on Sunday night, with the side falling short by 100 runs against host nation India - and there's growing concerns about the long-term approach in white-ball cricket.
After shock losses at the hands of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, the defending champions have now been completely outclassed by powerhouses South Africa and India, failing to score about 2000 in either outing.
The performance against India, which saw the 2019 World Cup victors rolled for just 129 runs in their run chase, has led to worldwide criticism, especially given the amount of talent and expectation in their lineup.
With just one victory from six matches, England are now out of contention for the knockout stages, with Matthew Mott's team now essentially playing for pride in their remaining three fixtures.
MORE: Australia escape with narrow victory against Black Caps
Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan react to England loss
Speaking in the post-match presentation, England captain Jos Buttler admitted the display was inidative of their current standing in the tournament.
“Very disappointing... at the halfway stage chasing 230 we fancied ourselves, but it’s the same old story,” he said.
“The gut feeling was that we wanted to chase. It is as good as we have been with the ball throughout the tournament. We took some good wickets so we are very disappointed.”
“Whatever way you want to approach the game it is about being committed. For me it was soaking up pressure, building up partnerships and killing pressure.
“It is about executing your skills... chasing 230, there wasn’t scoreboard pressure - we are falling short.”
Buttler scored just 10 runs against India, while both Joe Root and Ben Stokes were dismissed for ducks and the only player to score above 20 being Big Bash standout, Liam Livingstone.
Speaking on Sky Sports following the clash, former skipper Eoin Morgan - who lifted the trophy four years ago - took aim at the ongoing issues in the dressing room.
“I’ve never come across a sports team that has underperformed like this, given the level of expectation,” he said.
“There’s something within the team that is definitely unsettled... I think there’s something else going on - there has to be.”
The comments from Morgan, who captained the English white-ball outfits for over a decade and recorded more victories than any other in the role, are simply a reflection of what most fans in the country are thinking.
But according to head coach Mott, the concerns are off the mark.
“I don’t think that at all... I think anyone that’s inside our tent at the moment would say that despite our results, we’re an incredibly tight-knit unit,” he said post-game.
“I can only say from my opinion the group’s been incredibly strong in that part. If you see our training sessions, they’re full of fun. People are putting their arm around each other, trying to help them.
“Eoin’s entitled to his opinion. He’s obviously been away for a couple of weeks with the birth of his child. He hasn’t been in and around the rooms, but I’ll certainly take that up with him and have a chat to him.”
England will now look to regroup ahead of next Saturday's clash with old rivals Australia, who will be looking to keep their finals hopes alive.
When is England's next ODI World Cup game?
| Date | Match |
| Sat. 4th November | England vs Australia |
| Wed. 8th November | England vs Netherlands |
| Sat. 11th November | England vs Pakistan |