 "Virat Kohli during a practice session ahead of the first ODI between India and England. Image: PTI")
After a dominant win in the first ODI, Team India will look to extend their lead in the three-match series when they face England in the second ODI on Sunday. With a 1-0 advantage, India will aim to take an unassailable 2-0 lead and seal the series. On the other hand, England, under pressure to level the series, will be hoping to keep their hopes alive of securing their first ODI series win in India in over 40 years.
While India’s performance in the opening game was largely convincing, there are a few areas they will look to improve upon.
Also Read: India vs England Live Streaming and Telecast Details: How to watch 2nd ODI match on TV and online?
Rohit’s struggles continue
Indian captain Rohit Sharma is in dire need of form. Rohit’s struggle with the bat continued in Nagpur, where he was dismissed for just two runs. This mirrored his disappointing performances in the Test series against Australia, where he struggled to find form. Rohit hasn’t scored a fifty in any format since his 64 against Sri Lanka in August. The Indian team will be hoping for a big knock from their captain to steady their top order.
Selection dilemma with Kohli’s return
Virat Kohli’s absence in the opening match had raised some concerns about his fitness, especially with the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 looming. However, Kohli is expected to return to the playing XI for the second ODI. His inclusion, however, presents a selection dilemma for the Indian team management.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsShreyas Iyer, who replaced Kohli in the first ODI, made the most of his opportunity with an explosive 59 off just 36 balls, making it a tough decision for the team to drop him. While Kohli traditionally would slot back into the playing XI in place of Iyer, the team could instead opt to drop Yashasvi Jaiswal, who didn’t make a significant impact in Nagpur, his maiden ODI game for India. This would see Shubman Gill reunite with Rohit Sharma at the top, as the pair has performed well together in the past.
India vs England, 2nd ODI: Pitch report
Similar to Nagpur, Cuttack’s pitch is expected to favor the spinners. Additionally, the surface offers lower bounce, making batting challenging. Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav will be looking to exploit the conditions.
India vs England, 2nd ODI: Weather report
The temperature on Sunday is expected to be 33°C during the day, cooling down to 19°C in the evening. Previous games in Cuttack have seen heavy dew, which will likely influence the match. The team winning the toss will likely choose to bowl first.
Records that could be achieved by Indian players in the 2nd ODI
Virat Kohli is just 94 runs away from completing 14,000 runs in ODIs
Rohit Sharma needs 132 runs to reach 11,000 runs in ODIs
Mohammed Shami is 4 wickets away from completing 200 ODI wickets
Shreyas Iyer needs 20 runs to complete 2,500 runs in ODIs
Shubman Gill: needs 85 runs to complete 2,500 runs in ODIs
Hardik Pandya needs 5 wickets to complete 200 international wickets
Kuldeep Yadav needs 2 wickets to complete 300 international wickets