Spotlight on Rohit & Kohli as India look to wrap up series

Captain Rohit Sharma’s dip in form across formats and Virat Kohli’s recovery from a knee issue will be in the spotlight as India, after taking a 1-0 lead in the Orange City, will seek to win the second One-Day International (ODI) and seal the three-match series against England in the Silver City on Sunday.

The host will be keen to see the two stalwarts shine again, like they have done at the Barabati Stadium here in the past, ahead of the fast-approaching Champions Trophy.

Kohli, who also went through a lean phase in red-ball competitions, looked fit to take the field. It will be interesting to see whom he replaces, especially after Shreyas Iyer’s excellent performance in the first ODI.

India urgently needs to decide its pace combination for the ICC event. As Jasprit Bumrah’s return is still in doubt and Mohammed Shami’s search for his old magic continues, debutant Harshit Rana’s resilient three-wicket haul in the series opener must have acted as a soothing balm for the host.

While Hardik Pandya provides the much-needed balance, left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh, who last played an ODI in August, is waiting for some game time.

Fine performances of Shubman Gill, Shreyas and Axar Patel with the bat and the effectiveness of the Indian spin trio, Axar, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja has pleased the home think-tank as much as it thrilled the spectators in Nagpur. T20I series hero Varun Chakravarthy is waiting to prove himself after getting a maiden ODI call-up.

Here, too, fans’ enthusiasm knows no bounds – evident from the sleepless night they spent to buy tickets and filled the stands in large numbers for the Indian team’s practice on the match eve – as international cricket returns to the 67-year-old venue, still awaiting modernisation, after nearly three years and an ODI after five years.

Instead of travelling to Cuttack for match-eve nets, England players chose to take a break and involve in a game golf in Bhubaneswar. The visitor must adapt to the traditionally high-scoring venue quickly.

While contributions of openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, skipper Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell indicated a good beginning in Nagpur, the below-par showing of Joe Root and Harry Brook was disappointing.

England will look to overcome India’s spin challenge in the middle overs and expect its own tweakers, including the crafty Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone and Bethell, to be impactful.

With pace ace Jofra Archer displaying good form, England will hope its other speedsters, such as Saqib Mahmood and Brydon Carsen, to be more productive.

With the series on the line, England will push to take it to the decider.

The teams (from): India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Ꮪhubman Gill (vice-capt.), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy.

England: Jos Buttler (Capt.), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt (wk), Mark Wood.

Match officials: Umpires: Chris Brown & J. Madanagopal; Third umpire: Sharfuddoula Saikat.; Match referee: Javagal Srinath 

Match starts at 1:30 p.m.