India will eye a series win when they face England in the second game of the three-match ODI series. India vs England 2nd ODI match will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Stadium in Pune on March 25 (Friday). Virat Kohli’s men currently lead the three-match series 1-0 having won the first ODI by 66 runs. A similar result in the second game will clinch the ODI series for India with a game remaining and also help them complete a series sweep over England, who were beaten 4-1 in Tests and lost 3-2 in T20Is. Meanwhile, ahead of the IND vs ENG 2nd ODI match, take a look at the probable/likely India playing XI for the next ODI match. India vs England 2nd ODI 2021 Preview: Likely Playing XIs, Key Battles, Head to Head and Other Things You Need To Know About IND vs ENG Cricket Match in Pune.
Debutants Krunal Pandya and Prasidh Krishna shone in their first match for India. Both were excellent in their respective roles. Krunal, who made an emotional debut, smashed 58 off just 31 deliveries to take India to 317/5 after the hosts had been reduced to 205/5 in the 41st over. His unbeaten 112-run partnership with KL Rahul (62) was crucial in India scoring over 300. Krishna then took 4/54 to bundle England for 251 and help India clinch victory by 66 runs. England Likely Playing XI for 2nd ODI vs India: Probable England Cricket Team Line-Up for One-Day Match in Pune.
India Likely Playing XI for IND vs ENG 2nd ODI
Openers – Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will keep their place in the side as the opening pair. Dhawan was India’s highest runscorer in the first match and missed out on a 14th ODI century by just two runs. He responded with a fabulous knock after being dropped from the Indian T20I team and will want to play another match-winning innings in the second game. Rohit Sharma was out for 28 but has been India’s best white-ball batsman in recent years and is certain to retain his place.
Middle-Order – Virat Kohli once again missed out a hundred after being dismissed by Mark Wood on 56 and has now gone over a year with scoring an international century. But the Indian skipper has looked sharp with the bat and would want to break his century drought in the second match. India lost Shreyas Iyer to a shoulder injury in the first game. Iyer had to leave the field after the injury while fielding and has been ruled out from the remainder of the series.
Suryakumar Yadav is likely to take his place in the Indian team while Rishabh Pant is also another option. KL Rahul showed his finishing skills in the first match with an unbeaten 62 from 43 balls and is set to reprise his role as the finisher again. After initially struggling with his timing, Rahul went on to smash four boundaries and as many maximums and remained unbeaten having propelled India to a respectable total with a crucial partnership with Krunal.
All-rounders – Krunal Pandya did more than enough to justify his selection as the spin-bowling all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja’s absence. Krunal first played a splendid knock to help India set more than a respectable total and then also took the crucial wicket of Sam Curran to dent England’s chase. Krunal took on the England bowlers right after his arrival allowing Rahul enough time to settle. His brother Hardik had an off day but is likely to keep his place given he is the only pace-bowling all-rounder in the team.
Bowlers – Shardul Thakur impressed yet again with figures of 3/37 in six overs. He had shown his uncanny ability to pick wickets whenever called upon in the T20Is and did exactly that in the first ODI. He removed a well-settled Jonny Bairstow for 94 and then almost singlehandedly ended England chances by removing captain Eoin Morgan and vice-captain Jos Buttler in the same over. Morgan was once again out to a short-pitch delivery while Thakur castled Buttler four balls later.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will once again lead the attack for India while Prasidh Krishna, who took 4/54 in the first match, is also set to get another game. Prasidh was wayward in his length during his first spell and was smashed around the park by Jason Roy (46) and Bairstow. But he came back strong and dismissed Roy to give India the first breakthrough. Kuldeep Yadav went wicketless in his first white-ball game in three months. But he is likely to get another chance.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 25, 2021 05:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).