After a thrilling T20I series, England and India are set to lock horns in the ODI series starting on February 6. The first ODI will be played on Thursday at VCA Stadium.
Match Preview
England, after a disastrous World Cup campaign in India, are looking to rebuild their ODI side by blending young talent with seasoned pros like Jos Buttler, Joe Root, and Adil Rashid.
Since the World Cup, their ODI performances have improved, securing series wins against the West Indies and a hard-fought victory against world champions Australia on their home turf.
However, Jos Buttler and his men face a tough challenge, as England has not won an ODI series in India since 1984.
For them to have any chance in this series, they will need their captain, Jos Buttler—who has managed just 221 runs in 16 ODI innings in India—to step up. Additionally, Joe Root, who has not played an ODI match since the last World Cup, will need to perform well.
Buttler remains optimistic about Root’s comeback, emphasizing his importance in both this series and the upcoming Champions Trophy.
“He’s one of the great players of the game, in all formats,” Buttler said in his pre-match press conference.
“I’m excited to see him in this phase of his career. Looking at what he’s done in Test cricket since stepping down as captain, he’s back with that cheeky smile on his face, enjoying his cricket. I expect him to do exactly the same in this environment.”
Meanwhile, India, the runners-up in the last World Cup, are coming off a series defeat against Sri Lanka and will have a point to prove. To outplay England, they will rely heavily on their spinners, much like in the T20I series, where Varun Chakravarthy repeatedly dismantled the English batting lineup.
Despite the presence of star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, concerns remain over their form.
Sharma did manage to score two half-centuries against Sri Lanka in his last ODI series, but questions still linger over Kohli’s consistency.
With key pacers like Mohammad Shami and Jasprit Bumrah missing, the responsibility will fall on the spinners to fill the gap.
This series is crucial for both teams as they finalize their combinations ahead of the Champions Trophy, particularly for India, who have played the fewest ODIs (six) since the last World Cup.
“The World Cup was one and a half years ago, so we clearly need to regroup now and figure out what we need to do here,” Rohit Sharma said. “It’s just about coming together—because it’s been a while since we’ve played this format—and trying to pick up where we left off in the World Cup. If it takes a little time, so be it. It’s not easy to replicate what we did in the World Cup right away.” – said Rohit Sharma
Probable Playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul/Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, two of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana.
England: Ben Duckett, Phil Salt (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (capt), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.
Pitch and Weather Report
The VCA Stadium is generally a high-scoring venue, with an average first-innings total of 288. It favours chasing sides, with six out of nine ODIs at the venue won by the team batting second. As for the weather, Nagpur is set for a bright and sunny day, with temperatures expected to reach the low 30s during the day.
Head-to-Head Record
India and England have faced off in 106 ODIs, with India winning 58 and England emerging victorious in 44. Two matches ended in draws, while three had no result.
Prediction:
Given India’s recent performance in the T20 series, the side is to kickstart the ODI series on a positive note as well.
Where to watch:
India: Disney-plus Hotstar
England: Sky Sports
Pakistan: Tapmad
Others: Cric HD
