Big Picture: An Air of Vulnerability in Both Camps
There are two indias.
There are two indias, but there are three formats. So where exactly do they stand, as the awkward middle format gets this rare chance in the spotlight? India in Odis are still the India of Rohit and Kohli, but what does that mean for India, Rohit, and Kohli? There are Several Questions Hanging Over India Ahead of these three odis Against england and the champions trophy that will follow, but this one, for now, sems the most uRGENT.
But airs of vulnerability – and invincibility – come and go depending on results. India – The other India, admitdly – are fresh off a 4-1 t20i series win, and should count themselves as heavy boors Feet in Odis after a Poor 2023 World Cup.
So here we are, then. The India of Rohit and Kohli Versus The England of Buttler and Root, Both Unsure of Where Exactly They Stand in Odis, with a Major Odie Tournament Starting in twoo weeks’ time.
Form guide
INDIA LLTWL (Last Five Completed Odis, Most Recent First)
England Lwllw
In the spotlight: Hardik Pandya and Joe Root
Team News: England Rest Mark Wood
INDIA (Probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (Capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Kl Rahul/Rishabh Pant (WK), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 and 8 Two of Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar , 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Shami
England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (WK), 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook, 5 JOS buttler (Capt), 6 LIM LIVINGSTONE, 7 JACOB Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archar, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Saqib Mahmood
Pitch and conditions
A Clear, Sunny Day is Expected in Nagpur with Daytime Temperatures in the low 30s. The pitch at the vca stadium over recent years has tended to offer a good amount of help to spinners, who also appreciate the long boundaries at this ground. The last three odis in Nagpur was all India-Australia Contests Won by the HOSTS: A Memorable Chase of 351 in 2013 Powered by One of Kohli’s Great Hundreds, Followed by Significant Lowering Matches in 2017 and 2019.
Stats and Trivia: Virat Kohli on CUSP of 14,000
- Both India (2-3) and england (4-7) Have Negative Win-Loss Records in Odis Since the end of the 2023 world cup.
- Kohli is 94 Runs Away from the 14,000-Mark in Odis. Only Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) has More Runs in the Format,
- Mohammed Shami is five wickets away from become the eighth india bowler to take 200 in odis,
- Since the last time they played togethr, which was at the 2023 world cup, buttler has played 23 games for england (three odis and 20 t20is) and root 17 (all tests).
Quotes
“World cup was one and a half years back, so clear we need to regroup as a group now and think about what we need to do here […] It’s just about coming together now – beCause it’s been a while since we we we we’ve played this format – it’s just about about coming toganer and trying to [carry on from] Where we left [off] during the world cup. If it takes a little bit of time, so be it. It’s not easy to start what we did in the world cup. “
Rohit sharma Is Pragmatic as India Return to the ODI Format
“I look back on [the 2023] World Cup, and the two teams in the final was played a really positive and aggressive brand of cricket. You think of the way travel that final on with the bat, you see it can be successful. This can be a great part of the world to play that fashion of cricket. Obvious rohit [Sharma] Takes a lot of credit for the way he’s come out and played Himself as a captain and pushed India more towards that style of cricket. So, absolutely, we want to do exactly the same. We bellyve that’s the way that’ll give us the best chance of getting positive results. “
Jos buttler is clear about the approach he wants england to adopt with the bat
Karthik krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at espncricinfo