IND vs ENG: 2nd ODI, Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match?

Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the series after sustaining a shoulder injury.

Published - 25 Mar 2021, 15:43 IST | Updated - 25 Mar 2021, 15:43 IST

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Going into the second ODI on Friday, March 26, India must be brimming with confidence. After being put under pressure, Virat Kohli and Co won the first game by 66 runs at the MCA Stadium. However, ahead of the next game, the hosts are in a bit of trouble.

Rohit Sharma copped a blow on the elbow after which he didn’t take part in the game. Nevertheless, the Nagpur-born batter has been deemed fit. Shreyas Iyer won’t be taking part in the series after he sustained a shoulder injury. Kuldeep Yadav’s form also remains to be concerning.

As far as the visitors are concerned, they need to sort out their middle-order woes. After their openers flourished, the middle-order crumbled like a house of cards. In order to draw level in the series, Eoin Morgan and Co have to put forth a stronger batting show.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch in Pune was an excellent one the other day. The batsmen were able to play shots on the up and the track also had a lot of bounce for the fast bowlers to extract. The conditions will be hot with the temperature around 34 degrees Celsius. The skies will be clear with the humidity also on the lower side.

Playing Combinations for IND vs ENG

India

Predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (C), KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant/Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

Bench: T Natarajan, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav/Rishabh Pant, Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav

England

Predicted XI: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Eoin Morgan (C), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Billings/Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Tom Curran/Reece Topley

Bench: Matthew Parkinson, Tom Curran/ Reece Topley/Sam Billings/Liam Livingstone

Probable Top Performers of IND vs ENG

Virat Kohli (India)

Not often does Virat Kohli score a fifty and then miss out on a century. He would be disappointed after scoring 56 with six fours at almost a run-a-ball. He was finding the sweet spot of the bat more often than not, but he couldn’t carry on. The 32-year-old would now be looking to make his start count in the next contest.

Jonny Bairstow (England)

Jonny Bairstow looked in ominous touch the other night. He smashed 94 runs off 66 balls with six fours and seven sixes. It was after the fall of his wicket that the Brits couldn’t find any sort of momentum. The onus will again be on the right-hander to take his team off to a flying start.