England paceman Jamie Overton keen to channel intensity more constructively

Jamie Overton is striving for the subtlety of a “ninja” for England in India after admitting he let his emotions boil over during a recent Big Bash League stint in Australia.

Overton shone with bat and ball for Adelaide Strikers but had a few flash points, most notably against Chris Jordan’s Hobart Hurricanes earlier this month at the aptly-named Ninja Stadium in Tasmania.

After exchanging words with Tim David, Overton was belted for 26 in an over in the Strikers’ defeat but he let his fast bowling do the talking in England’s win over India in the third T20 in Rajkot.

Figures of three for 23 helped England claim victory by 26 runs to leave them trailing 2-1 in the five-match series and Overton admitted he is trying to channel his intensity in a more constructive fashion.

“It’s just passion,” he said. “Most of the time it’s trying to get me fired up, it’s not having a go at someone. It may look like I’m having a go at someone, but it’s more to get my energy going.

“Sometimes, I take it too far and I lose control of what I need to do. I think there’s a balance. I chatted with Chris Jordan and I just had a few messages with him after that incident.

“The overs we bowl at the end, you have to be cool, calm and collected on what you need to be doing. If you’ve got other stuff going on in your head, you can’t execute what you need to execute.

“It’s just trying to be like a ninja. Being quite aggressive but trying to sneakily do it rather than being like a warrior and be in someone’s face, just trying to have that little bit of balance.”

England’s aggressive approach has seen him walk to the crease earlier than he might have anticipated – twice in the 12th over and once in the 14th, and he has been dismissed three times by India’s spinners.

Overton has earned a reputation on the franchise circuit for being able to clear the ropes off pace bowling at the end of an innings but he accepted he is a work in progress against spin.

“I’m 100 per cent learning on the job,” he said. “I am happy to say I’m not the greatest against spin. It’s something I’m working really hard on. I really want to work on it.”

Overton, who has been snapped up by Chennai Super Kings for the upcoming Indian Premier League, took inspiration from Hardik Pandya on Wednesday as the all-rounder made England briefly sweat on the result.

“I can learn a bit from Hardik, even though he didn’t get them over the line. The way he approached the innings, he was around a run-a-ball until the last four (overs), then he goes.

“It’s about learning in these conditions because I’ve never played over here. I’m learning on the job.”

Overton has been on a diet of T20s since his comeback from a fifth stress fracture in his back but he thinks he will be able to play a full role in England’s 50-over Champions Trophy campaign if required.

He has also not given up hope of adding to his lone Test cap from two and a half years ago, with next winter’s Ashes in Australia on his mind.

“Obviously, the next six months I’m not going to play a massive amount (of red-ball matches),” he added. “But looking to the back end (of the English summer), I might play through and who knows, the Ashes might come.”