World Cup 2023, IND vs ENG: England Opt To Bowl As They Look To Resurrect Campaign; Check Playing XIs

Lucknow: The much-anticipated clash between India and England in the 2023 ODI World Cup is all set to be played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. In the lead-up to this crucial match, there’s a stark contrast in the fortunes of the two teams.

England find themselves hanging by a thread, having managed just one win out of five games, leaving them near the bottom of the points table. To keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive, they need a series of favourable outcomes that could be described as nothing short of a miracle.

In their quest for success, England have explored all their options. They’ve rotated all 15 players in their original squad and adopted an aggressive approach, even leaving their vice-captain out for three of their five games. Unfortunately, their efforts have yielded little in the way of results.

On the other hand, India is riding high, having won all five of their matches, making them the only unbeaten team in the tournament. Their impressive performance includes a victory over New Zealand, a team that has been a historical thorn in their side at ICC events. This achievement is particularly noteworthy as they accomplished it without their versatile all-rounder, Hardik Pandya.

India’s success has been anchored in their strong starts. Rohit Sharma has been setting the tone in the powerplay, maintaining a formidable strike rate of 134.01. Jasprit Bumrah, with his exceptional economy rate of 2.90 in the first ten overs, has been a key asset with the ball.

The outcome of the upcoming match is eagerly anticipated, as an Indian victory would propel them back to the top spot and put England in a perilous position closer to the brink of elimination.

However, India face a challenge with Hardik Pandya still sidelined due to an ankle injury, which means they will enter the game with just five frontline bowlers. In preparation, players like Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Suryakumar Yadav have been seen honing their bowling skills during practice sessions. The stage is set for what promises to be an exciting and pivotal encounter.

Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w/c), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood