Top two sides lock horns as India, England battle for ODI honours

Tuesday, 23 March 2021 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

After a successful T20I series, India and England will now shift their focus to the three-match ODI leg of the long series Tuesday onwards.

India will hope to avoid losing another series opener, having tasted defeat in the first match of both the Tests and the T20Is against England so far. The hosts have shown remarkable resilience to come back from the deficit to win series each time, but England, the defending world champions, will make for stern opposition in the ODIs.

The visitors, however, will be missing key personnel. Jofra Archer has been deemed unfit for the series with an elbow injury, while Joe Root, the Test captain and their crucial number three batsman, also misses out. Mark Wood is expected to replace Archer and lead the attack against India, with fellow-quick Reece Topley and leg-spinner Matt Parkinson also being named in the squad.

India are expected to continue opening their batting with the tried-and-tested pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. Changes could be in the pipeline lower down the order, with Suryakumar Yadav, Prasidh Krishna and Krunal Pandya all named in the squad following impressive performances in the domestic circuit.

Suryakumar, in fact, will be hopeful of making his ODI debut, having impressed after being handed his international debut in the T20Is, claiming the Player of the Match award in the fourth T20I.

The last time India faced England in an ODI was during the World Cup in 2019 in Edgbaston. Rohit Sharma’s century went in vain on that occasion as Jonny Bairstow’s thrilling knock of 111 propelled England to a 31-run victory. India went on to top the group stages, but England went on to famously lift the trophy.