India and England face off in the 2nd ODI in Pune on Friday, with both teams battling injury concerns. India for the first time in recent bilateral series are leading the series, courtesy of their win in the first game. England meanwhile, are formulating ways to bounce back into the series after losing their way in the first game. Both teams thus have all to play for with the series on the line. More about the 2nd ODI preview in detail below.
England are marred by several injury concerns. Skipper Eoin Morgan had split his webbing while Sam Billings had dislocated his left shoulder collar bone while trying to save runs for his team.
Meanwhile, England skipper Eoin Morgan said that they are not looking to change much of the composition of the side, however, will change the side if players do not recover in time. England’s bowling performance especially in the death overs was below par. They allowed India to score far too many runs in the final 10 overs which is why they had to chase a few too many.
Must-Win Game For England
They will look for far consistent performances from their bowling and batting group especially, the middle order. The absence of Chris Jordan and Chris Woakes from the ODI team is hurting their bowling outfit. Both are two of the best death bowlers in England’s ODI setup.
India meanwhile, are in a slightly unfamiliar position of leading an ODI series for a change. They won the last game by 66 runs and are comfortably placed to win the series. Shreyas Iyer unfortunately has been ruled out of the rest of the games with a dislocated left shoulder. Meanwhile, KL Rahul’s return to form is a welcome sign for the management who rates him very highly as a top-order batsman. Krunal’s all-round performance just adds variety and depth to the Indian team.
However, this opens up an opportunity for either Shubman Gill or Suryakumar Yadav to get a look in the middle order. As per reports in Cricbuzz, Rohit Sharma might also be rested for the second game which might see two confirmed changes in the Indian playing XI.
Kuldeep Yadav went wicketless in the previous game. He is going through a rough patch but still might play the second game as India might not look to change the bowling combination. A win in the second game will mean India will win the ODI series as well after the Test and the T20I series.
Also Read: India’s Predicted XI For The 2nd ODI Against England
Head To Head
Overall
- Total matches: 106
- India won: 54
- England won: 42
In India
- Total: 53
- India won: 32
- England won: 16
Weather & Pitch Conditions For 2nd ODI
There will be plenty of runs on offer in the 2nd ODI like it was in the first. Pitch will be batting friendly with the weather getting pleasant in the evening. Interestingly, India holds the record of the highest total at this venue. They chased down 351 required to win against England back in 2017.
Team News For 2nd ODI
One of India’s changes will be forced with either of Suryakumar Yadav or Shubman Gill replacing Shreyas Iyer. If the team management decides to rest Rohit Sharma, Gill might replace him at the top while Surya might bat at number four. Either of Yuzvendra Chahal or Washington Sundar might replace Kuldeep Yadav, if the management decides to drop him.
For England, updates on Morgan and Billings’ fitness can only be disclosed before the toss time. If Morgan does not play, Jos Buttler will lead the team in the 2nd ODI. Liam Livingstone might replace Billings if he misses out too. Rest of the playing XI might remain the same.
Squads
India
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, T Natarajan, Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill
England
Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan(c), Jos Buttler(w), Ben Stokes, Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley, Liam Livingstone, Matthew Parkinson
Also Read: India vs England 2021: 2nd ODI- Fantasy Tips, Predicted XI, Top Fantasy Picks