Birmingham: Humbled in the ODI series against India, England stand-in-skipper Eoin Morgan said his team's win in the one-off Twenty20 International has brought the smiles back in the dressing room after a very tough summer.
England held on to their nerves to pull off a thrilling three-run victory in the only T20 International against India here last night, after the hosts succumbed to a 1-3 series defeat in the ODIs.
"There's smiles in the changing-room after a very tough summer," Morgan said. "We've worked really hard and to finish it on such a high against such a very strong T20 team is a great achievement.
"It is hugely important. In the one-day series our senior players including myself didn't stand up, which made things really difficult. To lead from the front myself was the way it should be done," he added.
Morgan, who led the team in the absence of injured Stuart Broad, played a captain's knock, hitting a fabulous 31-ball 71, including seven sixes. After Morgan's late assault saw 81 runs scored off the final five overs, paceman Chris Woakes dealt well with the pressure of bowling to India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the last over when the visitors needed 17 runs.
"The guys at the end; Woakesy and Harry Gurney and Steven Finn were outstanding," said Morgan. Dhoni twice refused to give the strike to Ambati Rayudu in the final over, denying his team of runs, but Morgan defended the Indian skipper's approach.
"He's a guy capable of anything. That first ball (of the last over) Woakesy bowled, he probably missed his length but not by much at all -- he inside edged it for six.
"If Woakesy half executes the rest of the deliveries he faces in that over they could have gone for six as well," said Morgan.
