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India take on England in the opening encounter of the three-match ODI series in Pune on Tuesday, March 23.
After a gruelling four-match Test series and an exciting five-match T20I rubber, the caravan moves to the final leg of what has been a long tour of India for the visitors.
The defending 50-over world champions will be facing up against their longstanding rivals in a gripping ODI series. The two teams will also be resuming their campaigns in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, determining qualification spots for the 2023 World Cup in India.
Although hosts India are already qualified, just being pitted against the current trophy holders could bring the best out of them. England are expected to look to stamp their authority and prove why they have been such a formidable unit in this version of the game.
Interestingly, both teams suffered 2-1 losses against Australia in their previous series. So, they will be determined to make amends, especially knowing they will be without their premier pacemen in Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. However, the absence of Bumrah and Archer gives a fantastic chance for others to perform and cement their spots in respective teams. It’s a great opportunity for those looking to strengthen their cases in the two 50-over line-ups and push on for a place in the next World Cup squad.
Key Players
Virat Kohli showed excellent form during the T20I series. The Indian captain made three half-centuries in five matches and looked well in control of his batting. Kohli is a modern-day legend in the ODI game as he averages 59.31 with a strike-rate of 93.24 after 251 matches in the format. Kohli will pose a massive challenge to English bowlers through the series. He will also likely return to his favoured No.3 position for the fifty-over games.
Rohit Sharma has been pivotal to this Indian team’s success over the years. The opening batsman has been a force to be reckoned with in ODIs, with 9,115 runs from 224 matches, including 29 hundreds and three double hundreds. Rohit’s ability to set-up the game at the top of the order makes him a danger man for England and extremely crucial to India.
Jos Buttler is England’s game-changer with the bat. The explosive right-hand batsman will be extremely crucial to his team’s chances in the ODI series. Buttler also showed signs of his best form through the T20Is and will be raring to continue in the same vein. Buttler has a knack for rising to the big challenges, as he showed in the 2019 World Cup in the UK, and can put the Indian bowlers under a lot of pressure. He will move back down the order to don the finishing role.
Ben Stokes is one of the world’s premier all-rounders, who balances England’s unit superbly. Stokes, at his best, gives England greater depth in both departments of the game. The 29-year-old, who helped England reign supreme at the World Cup two years back, has now played 95 ODIs and averages 40.63 with the bat while carrying a strike-rate of 93.94. With the ball as well, Stokes tends to pick up crucial wickets and helps other bowlers around him a great deal.
Prediction
It will be a battle of the aces in the 50-over game, but India will have a slight advantage of playing in home conditions. The last time they played England in Pune in an ODI, India came out triumphant in a high-scoring fixture. If the track is just as flat as it was then, Bumrah and Archer’s absence will create a level playing field and, consequently, expose both teams’ bowling depth, especially in the fast-bowling department.
It’s here India will have a definite edge because of their spin depth. The hosts will have the option of going in with their wrist-spin twins, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, besides finger-spinners like Washington Sundar and Krunal Pandya.
On the other hand, England will depend a lot on Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, who are expected to have a tough time through the middle-overs against quality Indian batsmen.
If that indeed happens, the onus will be on batters like Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes & co, and pacemen Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Tom Curran do the bulk of the work and pull the game in England’s favour.
There will also be a focus on Indian batsmen such as Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav through the series. Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be leading the Indian pace attack in the absence of Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and guide the likes of T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna at the other end.
