Team India are ready to host England in a three-match ODI series as their final white-ball assignment before the ICC Champions Trophy (ICT).
With this year’s marquee ODI tournament a couple of weeks away, Rohit Sharma and Co have the opportunity to fix the remaining chinks in their armour and sort out their combinations before kicking off their ICT campaign in Dubai.
Ahead of the first ODI between India and England, here are our match preview and predictions.
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The hosts have all the big guns returning for the ODI series. Rohit Sharma is back at the helm with a new deputy in Shubman Gill, who will be opening the innings alongside him, as Virat Kohli rounds out the top order. Both Sharma and Kohli remain under the scope given their recent poor form. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are back in the mix of things, both having been crucial to India’s stellar run in the ODI World Cup in 2023. Rahul is expected to be the first-choice keeper, which will allow the team to go with either an extra bowler or batter.
Harik Pandya will be key for the hosts along with Ravindra Jadeja in the all-rounders’ camp, while Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav will be key with the ball, especially in Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. Axar Patel has also slowly proven himself to be invaluable to the team and could be a deciding factor on a spin-friendly track in Nagpur.
England have one big name returning to the ODI setup, with Joe Root back at the top of their batting order. Apart from that, Jos Buttler will have more or less the same squad at his disposal from the T20I series. Ben Duckett’s recent white-ball form will also be key for the visitors. Phil Salt will remain the explosive option up top, while Root will play the anchor role around the likes of Buttler, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell.
England have a host of all-rounders, with Livingstone, Bethell, and even Root expected to roll their arms over whenever needed. Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed are the two main spinners for the visitors, with Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Gus Atkinson leading the pace charge with the new ball.
The first game of this series will be the first ODI game taking place in Nagpur since March 2019, almost six years ago! Nagpur has been a track that has helped spinners in particular, so expect both teams to go all-in on spinners, as we back the hosts to kick off the series with a win.
Fantasy XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Joe Root, Harry Brook, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Liam Livingstone, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
Venue: Nagpur
Winners Prediction: India
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