by Our Sports Desk

Alastair Cook needs to find some effective answers quickly if England are to avoid making a damaging false start to their World Cup preparations.

After a 133-run trouncing against India in Cardiff, the hosts must hit back in the third one-day international at Trent Bridge tomorrow to retain any chance of winning the Royal London Series.

The consolation for Cook is that there are alternative options in England’s 14-man squad.

The worry, however, is the gulf which opened up between the two teams at the SWALEC Stadium and the sense that a little tinkering here and there will still leave some vulnerable cricketers in situ in Nottingham.

Among them, Chris Jordan’s faulty white-ball radar was of particular concern as he sent down 12 of England’s 16 Welsh wides to help Suresh Raina pile up India’s 304 for six — and that after the tourists had lurched to 19 for two against the swinging ball under leaden skies in the morning powerplay.

Ben Stokes was no more assured as England wasted the new-ball handiwork of Chris Woakes and James Anderson.

Cook and coach Peter Moores can ponder the availability of a second spin option, from much-improved all-rounder Moeen Ali, or replacing one or both of Jordan and Stokes with Steven Finn or Harry Gurney — on his home ground.

The truth is, though, that England will be swapping cards not from a position of strength but weakness.

Even after the return of the waywardness which afflicted Jordan at times in this summer’s Test series victory over India, they might be just as well sticking with him and hoping he can rediscover the form which more than once saw him excel beforehand against Sri Lanka in the limited-overs formats.

Cook acknowledged, after England had been bowled out in under 40 overs in pursuit of a Duckworth-Lewis target of 295, that there had been selection issues already in Cardiff.

“They do (bring something different),” he said of the tall Finn and left-armer Gurney.

“It was a really hard side to pick. We just went for that balance.”

Finn and Gurney will bring risk as well as variety — the quality England’s seam attack lacked as they went 1-0 down with three to play.

The former is still on his way back after his alarming dip in form last winter and Gurney’s inclusion in any team comes with the proviso that he is an out-and-out specialist whose batting and fielding are unlikely to contribute significantly.