The home series against England will be a good preparation for the Champions Trophy beginning on February 19
India will go head-to-head against England for three ODIs starting tomorrow at Nagpur. The second and third ODI will be played on February 9 and 12 respectively.
The ICC Champions Trophy is played every four years. Pakistan are the defending champion and main host of the tournament this year.
The home series will be a good preparation for the Champions Trophy beginning on February 19. India will play at least three games from the League Stage. They will face Bangladesh on February 20, Pakistan on February 23, and New Zealand on March 2. India’s matches will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
As we inch further into the Champions Trophy, skipper Rohit Sharma and the coaches have to make some tough decisions.
Let’s take a look at the key takeaways from the upcoming home series against England:
Yashashvi Jaiswal is a strong opener. The southpaw has scored four centuries in 19 Tests alone. He has also shown his brilliance in the T20s. He is expected to replicate his game in the ODIs too. His performance against the English bowling attack will strengthen his spot as an opener.
However, the real conundrum is with Jaiswal’s partner. With Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma in the squad, who’d be a better opener from the other end of the pitch? Rohit can open with Jaiswal while Kohli can join as the No.3 batter followed by Gill. But, the Rohit-Kohli duo has been under immense scrutiny regarding their form post the 2023 World Cup. The board’s diktat for RoKo to play in the Ranji Trophy further highlighted their lost form.
Gill, the vice-captain, is yet to play at a No.4 position. His position cannot be solidified unless he goes blazing guns against England.
ALSO READ:
If Jaiswal is dropped and Shreyas Iyer is introduced, the slots will move by one up. Rohit may open with Gill followed by Kohli and Iyer. However, this combination is unsuitable due to the lack of a lefty. However, the wicketkeeper is expected to come in at No.5.
Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul are in tough competition for the same spot. In the recently concluded India tour of Australia, Rahul amassed 276 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 50.09 while Pant scored 255 runs in nine innings at a slightly higher strike rate. Talking about their performances in the 50-over format, Rahul has an average of 55.44 while Pant averages 39.00. The ODIs are also Rahul’s strongest suit. But the addition of a left-handed batter can be an X-factor. While both of them have failed to convert their steady starts into big contributions, the ODI series will give the experts a clear idea.
Undoubtedly, Shami has been one of India’s key bowlers before Bumrah. But, Shami’s last played ODI dates back to the 2023 World Cup. He returned with 24 wickets in seven games. His spell of 7 for 57 in the Semi-Final against New Zealand was the best in the history of ICC World Cup knockout matches.
Just like RoKo, Shami’s spot is also a talking point for the Indian think tank. In the T20I series that ended last week, Shami managed just three wickets in two games. Though Shami has been a prime bowler, he hasn’t donned the Indian jersey enough in the last 14 months. The next three ODIs are crucial for him to return to his purple patch.
If Varun Chakravarthy can manage to keep his bowling still a mystery in the upcoming ODIs, he will earn a spot in the Champions Trophy too. In the T20I leg against England, Chakravarthy was named the Player of the Series for collecting 14 wickets in five matches. Despite India’s loss in the third match at Rajkot, Chakravarthy was a bright spot with his five-wicket haul.
Coming to the spin department, India have Kuldeep Yadav and Chakravarthy as experts alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar’s contributions. The all-rounders’ spot is further complicated with Hardik Pandya in the mix. Rohit will have to choose between the experienced Yadav and Chakravarthy.
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah (third ODI and CT), and Harshit Rana (first two ODIs vs ENG).
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
