On Sunday, October 29 in Lucknow, India will take on an England team that is under pressure as they attempt to extend their unbeaten streak in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023.
India is currently sitting pretty at No. 2 in the points table after winning five straight games; a victory over England will enable them reclaim the top spot. In their most recent match against New Zealand, the ‘Men in Blue’ faced their most formidable opponent thus far in the competition. For the first time in the 10-team competition, India lost more than four wickets in that particular match. In the end, India needed four wickets and two overs remaining to take down the 274-run total.
One of the main causes of the two-time champions’ outstanding success in the main event has been their captain Rohit Sharma and star batsman Virat Kohli’s outstanding form. Virat has gathered 354 runs at an astounding average of 118 in five games, whereas Rohit has amassed 311 runs at an average of 62.20 in the same number of games. The latter has been starting India off quickly, and he has an amazing strike rate of 133.48 thus far in the competition.
Important contributions have also been made by the bowlers, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the way with 11 wickets at 16.27 in five games. Mohammed Shami has shown to be a deadly force while Hardik Pandya is out with an injury. With a five-for in the match against the Blackcaps, the right-arm pacer will feel quite confident.
While the Indian side has many excellent aspects, the same cannot be said of England. With four losses from their five games, the reigning champs will need to improve soon to have a chance of making the semifinals. But even if England wins every game left in the World Cup, they will still need other things to go their way.
England’s strength is in their batting, but recently, none has been reliable. Despite taking eight wickets and looked ominous, Reece Topley is out due to injury. With everything on the line, Jos Buttler and company will try to respond and give his fans something to cheer about. Their confidence may soar if they defeat a formidable team like India.
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