India and England clash in the first ODI of their three-match series at Nagpur’s Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium tomorrow at 1:30 PM IST. This series is crucial preparation for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.
For India, this marks their return to home ODIs after a 14-month gap. With the Champions Trophy approaching, they’ll aim to solidify their squad and refine strategies, continuing their focus on developing emerging talent. This series offers a final chance to determine the optimal lineup.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will look to find form before the Champions Trophy. Their combined Nagpur record is impressive: 529 runs in eight ODIs, including three centuries and two half-centuries. Kohli is also close to becoming the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs, needing just 94 more.
The wicketkeeper-batter spot at number 5, between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, is a key decision. Both have shown similar recent form. Ravindra Jadeja also returns to the ODI squad after a long absence. India’s bowling receives a boost with the return from injury of Jasprit Bumrah (for the final ODI), Kuldeep Yadav, and Mohammed Shami. Varun Chakravarthy has been a late addition to the squad.
England, reeling from their 4-1 T20I series loss, will aim to bounce back. Their white-ball form has been inconsistent since their 2022 T20 World Cup win. Joe Root‘s return is a major plus, especially against spin. His recent SA20 form (279 runs at 55.8 average) is encouraging. England’s attack will likely be pace-focused, with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood leading. Harry Brook will aim to improve his ODI record in India.
Key player battles include Shami against Jos Buttler (Shami has dismissed him five times in ODIs) and Brook’s impressive ODI average since the 2023 World Cup. Buttler’s record in India is a concern (221 runs at 13.81 average).
Head-to-Head:
Nagpur favours chasing teams, with six wins in nine ODIs. India dominates the head-to-head record, winning 58 of 107 ODIs against England (44 wins). England’s last ODI series win in India was in 1984/85
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