When the World Cup 2023 schedule was announced, the India vs England encounter was one of the most sought-after ones. It was set to be a mouthwatering clash. It has been for quite some time now in white-ball cricket. An India-England match always draws eyeballs. The story, however, might not be the same when these two sides meet in Lucknow on Sunday. This is not to indicate that India and England cannot produce another high-quality match for the fans but if the completely opposite forms of the two teams are to be taken into consideration then the chances of a one-sided contest in India’s favour are high.
England have lost four out of their five matches in this tournament so far and their net run rate is marginally better than the Netherlands. Only a miracle can take them to the next round. And that miracle needs to start from their next match against table toppers, who are the only unbeaten side so far in the tournament with five wins on the bounce.
bSo poor have been defending champions England that their defeat was evident as early as the first powerplay of the second innings of each of their matches against New Zealand, Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. India, on the other hand, have done the exact opposite. Their victory seemed inevitable at the halfway stage in almost all of their matches.
Captain Rohit Sharma, talisman Virat Kohli, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, spinner Kuldeep Yadav and fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah have been the main reasons behind India’s stellar in this World Cup so far. Rohit has been impeccable at the top of the order. The way he has gone after the new ball has given rise to a fear factor among opposition bowlers. His captaincy has been spot on too. He has never allowed the game to drift; always a step ahead.
Rohit’s job was made easier by the presence of two all-rounders – Jadeja and Hardik Pandya. The latter won’t be available for the England match. There is no confirmation on his return date yet. Rohit did handle the situation well against New Zealand but he would need to be ready with more options if a misfiring England batting unit starts firing.
“See Hardik is a big miss, because let’s be honest he’s they key player who provides the balance for Rohit and Team India. But I personally will be looking to play a bowler, be it Shami or Ashwin it doesn’t matter, because I want a bowler in there who can bowl 10 overs because I don’t see Shardul bowling 10 overs match on match because that will be difficult. So the comfort was there when Hardik was behind him, but since he is not, I will go with a bowler,”: Badrinath said.
