IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI Preview: Rohit Sharma’s kind and choice dilemma over Virat Kohli’s return loom giant for Staff India | Cricket Information

Kaumi GazetteTop Stories8 February, 20258.2K Views


IND vs ENG, 2nd ODI Preview: Rohit Sharma's form and selection dilemma over Virat Kohli's return loom large for Team India
India captain Rohit Sharma with teammates in Nagpur. (PTI Picture)

NEW DELHI: India’s quest for a collection win towards England faces two towering challenges – captain Rohit Sharma’s extended dry spell and the choice conundrum that will come up with Virat Kohli’s potential return. Having taken a 1-0 lead with a hard-fought four-wicket win in Nagpur, India will goal to seal the collection when the groups face off within the second ODI in Cuttack on Sunday.
Kohli’s absence within the opening match attributable to a “sore proper knee” had raised issues about his health, significantly with the Champions Trophy simply across the nook.

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Nonetheless, vice-captain Shubman Gill hinted at a doable return, and Kohli’s relaxed demeanor in Cuttack suggests he is likely to be able to rejoin the taking part in XI.
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Kohli’s return, nonetheless, presents a variety dilemma. Shreyas Iyer, who changed Kohli on the final minute, seized the chance with a blazing 36-ball 59, making his omission a tough name. Historically, Kohli would slot again into the XI at Iyer’s expense, however Yashasvi Jaiswal could possibly be the one to make method as an alternative. If that occurs, Gill may reunite with Rohit on the prime, particularly since Jaiswal did not make a big affect in Nagpur.

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Past choice issues, Kohli himself is in quest of runs. His struggles in Australia, the place he repeatedly edged deliveries behind, have put his kind below scrutiny. His most up-to-date home outing within the Ranji Trophy noticed him fall for simply six towards Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan.
Nonetheless, ODIs have all the time been Kohli’s strongest format, and he’s simply 94 runs away from changing into the third batter in historical past to achieve 14,000 runs within the format after Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234). Having performed 283 ODI innings to date, Kohli can also be on the verge of changing into the quickest to achieve the milestone, forward of Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378).
In the meantime, Rohit Sharma’s struggles continued in Nagpur, the place he perished for simply two runs, mirroring his disappointing Take a look at collection towards Australia. His dismissal, a mistimed loft off Liam Livingstone that discovered midwicket, highlighted his desperation for runs. The Indian captain has not scored a fifty in any format since his 64 towards Sri Lanka in Colombo final August.
India’s bowling unit seems to be secure, with Mohammed Shami settling in after his return from harm. He impressed in Nagpur, beginning with a maiden over earlier than ending with figures of 1/38 in his eight-over spell. Debutant Harshit Rana had a blended outing, leaking runs to Phil Salt early on however placing at an important juncture to dismiss Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in the identical over. With issues lingering over Jasprit Bumrah’s health, Rana has a chance to stake his declare with one other robust efficiency.
For Jos Buttler’s England, this match is a must-win. Their ultra-aggressive batting method faltered in Nagpur, they usually could must recalibrate their technique on a Cuttack pitch that might help India’s spinners. England’s hopes will relaxation on their means to strike a stability between aggression and warning whereas countering India’s diverse bowling assault.
Groups (from)

  • India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (v-c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy.
  • England: Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Philip Salt, Jamie Smith, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid and Mark Wooden.

Match begins 1:30pm IST.



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