Eoin Morgan hails bowlers' belief as England steal improbable epic
Eoin Morgan has hailed his bowling attack's belief in their own strengths after Australia's late-innings implosion allowed England to squeeze out a two-run win in the first T20I at the Ageas Bowl on Friday night.
Australia needed 39 from 36 balls at the start of Adil Rashid's final over, but he removed both Steven Smith and Glenn Maxwell to give England an opening.
That meant Morgan gave Jofra Archer and Mark Wood their respective final overs earlier than anticipated as he looked to expose Australia's main weakness - their lack of power below No. 4 - and he was rewarded when they removed David Warner and Alex Carey respectively.
Morgan admitted that Australia had been "in command for the majority" of the run-chase, but he credited his bowlers' ability with the old white ball for delivering a series of breakthroughs, allowing them a foothold in a game that appeared to have slipped away.
"We have talked as a side about making inroads and when we do, we have threats to take maybe two or three at a time," Morgan said. "Some of our pace bowlers and Adil have posed that threat, making it particularly difficult for people coming in and facing them straight away.
"I think after Moeen's over, things started to turn for us. We got the ball reverse-swinging a little bit, but again, creating that opportunity with Adil getting Maxwell and Smith created that opportunity."
"I thought we might end up running out of our best bowlers earlier, but they seemed to continue to take risks, particularly against Adil and then Jof came back earlier as a consequence of that."
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Morgan said that after Australia's fast start - Aaron Finch and Warner put on 98 for the first wicket in 11 overs - England had little choice but to look for wickets, and he was prepared to lose the game by a significant margin rather than take it deep but never look like getting back into it.
"We needed to take wickets to try and stay in the game. I don't mind if we lose the game inside 16 overs.," he said. "To try and win the game is the priority, so you have to chase your tail a little bit or come up with different things.
"I'm delighted the guys showed belief and courage to do something to take wickets, and that was displayed a lot in the last six overs when we held our length a lot because it was the hardest to hit.
"Over two years ago we would have gone to bowling yorkers or slower balls which would have brought Australia back into the game. It was great that we stuck to our guns."
Morgan gave particular praise to Tom Curran - who held his nerve after being hit for six by Marcus Stoinis to leave Australia needing nine to win from the final four balls - and Chris Jordan, who bowled a brilliant 19th over on the night he won his 50th T20I cap.
"In the winter it was very similar in New Zealand and South Africa where Chris Jordan and Tom Curran led the attack and took the responsibility," Morgan said. "It is quite a weighty responsibility but they see an opportunity to take the team forward and lead the team and they do it very well.
"For Tom, the game that sticks out in particular is the game at Durban and then again tonight with him closing it out.
"We have shown a lot of faith in [Jordan] because he has earned it. He has been one of our greatest ever bowlers and only sits behind Broady in the lead wicket-takers. To have someone like that who is calm, even when he is not bowling and continuing to offer on and off the pitch.
"For younger guys coming through, I think he sets a great example and given he has only come back from surgery recently, he has done a great job."