India will take on England in the 29th match of the Men’s World Cup ODI 2023 at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday, 29th October. The Men in Blue have dominated the tournament, winning five consecutive matches thus far. They are the only team to remain undefeated in this edition of Men’s World Cup ODI. England, on the other side, are struggling to stay afloat in the tournament with consecutive defeats in the last three matches. The defending champions have only one match and lost three in the five matches so far. India are top of the points table with 10 points whereas England are second from the bottom with just two points.
In the Men’s World Cup ODI, India and England have faced off against each other on eight occasions since 1975, with The Three Lions leading 4-3. One ended with a tie. Their last encounter between two cricket giants in the tournament was in 2019 when England defeated India by 31 runs. The upcoming match is expected to be thrilling as India will look to extend their unbeaten run in the tournament while England will aim to go blazing guns to make a comeback after three defeats on the trot.
Players To Watch Out For
1. V Kohli (IND): V Kohli has been in sensational form in the ongoing Men’s World Cup ODI. His clutch performances against Australia, Bangladesh, and New Zealand showed why he is class apart from other players in the team. In the last match against New Zealand, Kohli scored 95 off 104 balls to help chase the target of 274 on a tricky pitch in Dharamshala. The 34-year-old is currently the second-leading run-getter in the tournament, aggregating 354 runs, including a century and three fifties, at an average of 118 in five matches thus. In recent matches, Kohli adjusted his game as per the situation of the match rather than sticking to his attacking style of batting. Kohli’s form is a big positive for India in the Men’s World Cup ODI.
2. J Bairstow (ENG): J Bairstow hasn’t yet produced an impactful performance with the bat for England in the ongoing edition of the Men’s World Cup ODI. In the previous match against Sri Lanka, Bairstow scored 30 off 31 balls at a strike rate of 96.77. However, one cannot deny the fact that the 32-year-old puts on a good performance whenever he finds his rhythm. Bairstow has a decent record against India in India in ODIs, aggregating 324 runs, including a century, at an average of 40.50 in 9 matches. J Bairstow will look to revive his lost form by taking India’s challenge in the upcoming match.
3. R Jadeja (IND): R Jadeja is undoubtedly one of the best all-rounders for India. His presence in the team brings stability to batting as well as bowling line-ups. In the previous match against New Zealand, Jadeja went wicketless but contributed with the bat in the run chase, scoring an unbeaten 39 off 44 balls. R Jadeja is currently a reliable all-rounder for India in the absence of H Pandya. In this tournament, Jadeja has scalped seven wickets at an average of 27.14 and an economy rate of 3.97 in five matches so far. He is one of the crucial bowlers in the middle overs who can take wickets and restrict the flow of runs. Moreover, Jadeja has a good record with the ball against England in ODIs, scalping 38 wickets in 25 matches. R Jadeja will look to make an impact with his all-round brilliance in the upcoming match against England.
4. A Rashid (ENG): A Rashid is currently a spin specialist England is relying on in the ongoing Men’s World Cup ODI. The 35-year-old is having a decent outing in the tournament thus far, scalping six wickets at an average of 38.50 and an economy rate of 5.54 in five matches. Though he hasn’t been up to his best thus far, A Rashid can turn his game around in the upcoming match against India. The seasoned spinner can bowl in different variations which often leave the batsmen confused. England is expected to rely on him alongside C Woakes and M Wood in the middle overs where a team can lose the grip of the match. A Rashid will look to better his game and pose a threat to India’s batting line-up.
5. M Shami (IND): M Shami made an instant impact in his first game of the tournament against New Zealand. He displayed fiery bowling, scalping five wickets while conceding 54 runs at an economy rate of 5.4 in his quota of 10 overs. The 33-year-old led the bowling attack brilliantly when other bowlers were struggling to take wickets. M Shami has been the backbone of India’s bowling line-up in ODIs. He is a threat to the batsmen due to his ability to swing the ball in both ways. Shami can turn the game on its head by taking wickets in the middle overs. M Shami will look to make an impact with the ball in the upcoming match against England.
Predicted Playing XI
IND: S Gill, R Sharma (C), V Kohli, S Iyer, SK Yadav, KL Rahul (WK), R Jadeja, K Yadav, M Shami, J Bumrah, M Siraj
ENG: J Bairstow, D Malan, J Root, J Buttler (C/WK), B Stokes, L Livingstone, M Ali, C Woakes, A Rashid, D Willey, M Wood,
Fantasy Playing XI Picks
Wicketkeeper: KL Rahul
Batters: R Sharma, J Bairstow, S Gill, V Kohli, J Root,
All-rounders: R Jadeja
Bowlers: M Shami, A Rashid, K Yadav, M Wood
Prediction
India will be high in confidence after outdoing themselves in recent matches, winning all five matches they’ve played so far in the tournament. The team looks well-balanced compared to England, with the middle order contributing significantly to batting. The Men in Blue put up dominant performances with the bat and ball in recent matches, making them clear favourites to win the match against England.
