England men name XI for first MetroBank ODI with India at Edgbaston
England Men have announced their playing XI for the first MetroBank ODI against India, scheduled to take place at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The match is set to begin on Tuesday, July 14, at 11:00 BST.
The team selection sees Jos Buttler making his 200th ODI appearance for England. His debut for the national side was against Pakistan in Dubai on February 21, 2012. Buttler will also take on the role of wicketkeeper for the fixture.
Opening the batting for England will be Jacob Bethell alongside Ben Duckett. The squad includes Joe Root and Harry Brook, with Brook captaining the side. Sam Curran is also part of the lineup.
The spin bowling options for England will be provided by Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, and Adil Rashid. The fast bowling attack features Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.
India’s Squad and Challenges
Meanwhile, India will be looking to regain momentum in the three-match ODI series, particularly after a challenging run in their recent T20I matches. Veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are back in the squad, with expectations for them to play a significant role in uplifting the team’s performance against a strong England side.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are 39 and soon-to-be 38 respectively, are aiming for a ODI World Cup swansong. Their experience will be crucial, especially when facing bowlers like Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue on English pitches, which are described as spicier compared to sub-continental conditions.
The return of these experienced players, along with Jasprit Bumrah, holds particular importance for India. The team, under new T20 skipper Shreyas Iyer, had a difficult time in the ongoing tour, losing all but one of its seven T20I matches. This included a 0-2 defeat against Ireland and a 0-4 thrashing by England, leading to calls for a performance review.
The Indian team management is expected to rely heavily on Kohli and Sharma to help stem the tide. An ODI series victory, while not fully addressing the issues from the T20 squad’s performance, could provide a much-needed confidence boost.
The Indian squad also sees the return of captain Shubman Gill, along with KL Rahul, forming a strong top-order batting unit. Shreyas Iyer is also included, further strengthening the batting lineup.
The bowling unit for India will need strategic planning, even with Jasprit Bumrah’s return after a rest. Gurnoor Brar, a new fast bowling prospect, will face a different challenge on English tracks compared to his previous performances. Arshdeep Singh will add a left-arm seam option.
Shivam Dube has been included as the fourth seamer at Edgbaston, a selection influenced by the absence of an injured Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy. While Washington Sundar and Axar Patel were noted for their performances in the T20I series, Kuldeep Yadav is considered a stronger spinner, capable of turning the ball even on less responsive surfaces.
Squads for the First ODI
The full England squad for the series includes Harry Brook (captain), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Tom Banton, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, James Coles, Sam Curran, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Saqib Mahmood, and Adil Rashid.
The Indian squad comprises Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, and Prince Yadav.
The first ODI match between England and India will commence at 3:30 PM IST on Tuesday.
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Source: ecb.co.uk
