(Info4Now)-England must be in a hunt to win the 2nd ODI in the three match series of India vs England today, but before so, they are badly in need of a perfect combination. While English bowlers kept it tight with enormous effort against the deep batting line-up of India, the middle order of England showed unprofessional actions with the bat. With 317 to chase down, Johnny Bairstow and Jason Roy built an excellent platform to ease the works of the batsmen to follow. But the middle order just collapsed in a hurry.
We concluded in the last preview, India vs England 1st ODI, that India have effective variations in bowling and it’s why even with two debutants they could defend an almost chasing score.
Preview of 2nd ODI,India vs England, 2021
Shekhar Dhawan, finally, got back to his rhythm. It was a perfect time for him to take time and get settled. India have a number of options if Rohit Sharma is not fit. Probably Subhman Gill will start at the top with Dhawan. Virat Kohli at No. 3 is very consistent in recent times. But he is dealing with only 50’s or 60’s. He lost the habit of scoring big. If injury is of concern in the team, he has to score a little bit more.
Suryakumar Yadav will replace injured Shreyas Iyer at No. 4 to have a break in the new format. K. L. Rahul returns as a wicket-keeper in the team and it’s a fantastic move. He is a far better one day batsman than Pant. He played an excellent knock in the last game and will be hoping to repeat for the team. Hardik Pandya is not in rhythm with the bat, but Krunal Pandya made a quick fifty in his debut match.
Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya are taking pressure off the premier bowlers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar needs no introduction. I am not sure about Chahal’s inclusion in place of Kuldeep, but the camp might think so.
As Johnny Bairstow and Jason Roy are in form, England have no problem with the opening. But a busy Stokes many a time couldn’t get his going with the bat. It’s very necessary for England to have Stokes backing up the batting. Morgan is also missing good touch and now out of the remaining matches due to injury. Jos Buttler got missed out in the previous game, but he single handedly can win games for the side. So he, being the stand-in leader, has to take greater responsibility this time. In the middle there are so many names to consider, whether they are to continue or be replaced by players from a small bench.
Sam Curran is fighting with all his heart. Even being a part timer, he is doing the work of a premier bowler alongside Wood and Stokes. Adil Rashid is trying to bowl wicket to wicket as far as possible and mixing things up with variation in movement. Tom Curran must make playing XI, while one or two might be included from the bench.
To Conclude
With a number of players missing in both camps, it’s a fresh contest. To India, toss didn’t matter much; but for England, they will still prefer to chase. As England are almost accurate with their bowling, they would concentrate on their so far unsuccessful middle order and lower middle order.