India played in the recent ODI World Cup final. Since then they have largely been absent from the format. That should not shock anyone, the ODI format is, after all, cricket’s middle child. But even for a forgotten format, six games in more than 15 months of cricket is a tad concerning. No team, full-member or otherwise, has played fewer ODI games than India in this duration. Add three one-day games from this series, and India will have played only 9 games between the World Cup and the Champions Trophy later this month.
In a world of entirely different problems than India’s, England have their own score to settle with this format, which has been unkind to them ever since they lifted the ODI World Cup six years ago. To say they were subpar in the 2023 ODI World Cup would essentially be a compliment because they were far worse than that. And if anything, they have been consistently declining since. Over the past year, England have played eight ODI games, lost five, and won three. They have a reason to believe that their fortunes will start steering towards better with Brendon McCullum’s induction as the coach but that could take more time than they are willing to wait.
Team Overview:
Saqib Mahmood’s exploits in the only T20I he played earned him a call-up for the first ODI. He will join Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer to form a three-pronged pace attack. But the greater news is Joe Root’s return to the format. England could find the consistency and anchor they desperately need in his presence. Adil Rashid will once again be the only frontline spinner, though Root, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell will share the load with him.
India, too, have veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma returning to the format and the pressure surrounding them will be a thousandfold more than what Root will experience. For one, their recent form is raising questions about whether the 50-over format is still safe from its impact. Rishabh Pant is more likely to keep wickets instead of KL Rahul, at least for the first game. India also need to find the answer to who will they field in the bowling lineup. Kuldeep Yadav is almost certain to be one of the frontline spinners. However, it remains to be seen which two of Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja will get a go ahead.
Head-to-Head Record:
England and India have played 107 ODI matches against each other. Out of these games, India have won 58 games while England got the better of them in 44. 5 games ended without any of the two results.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Nagpur has a slow surface which helps spinners a lot. This, in addition to longer boundaries, means that a low-scoring game will be on the cards. The weather will be clear of any rain, in fact a sunny day is forecasted to greet the teams. The surface in Nagpur tends to get slower as the game proceeds, which is why the toss-winning captain should look to bat first.
Where to Watch:
India: Hotstar
England: TNT Sports, Discovery+ App
Pakistan: Tapmad
Australia: Kayo Sports, Fox cricket
South Africa: SuperSport Grandstand
