India and England begin their three-match ODI series with the opening clash at Edgbaston, Birmingham, as both teams look to make a strong statement in the 50-over format.
This assignment comes after India went winless in the T20Is in Ireland and England. The Men in Blue will look to put behind the seven-game winless run as they rely on the experience of senior stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all of whom have returned for the series. Captain Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan add to the robust batting side. The batting unit has the firepower to post or chase big totals, while the bowling attack will need early breakthroughs to contain England’s aggressive lineup.
England, meanwhile, enter the series full of confidence after their T20I success. Playing in home conditions, they will look to continue their attacking brand of cricket with a balanced squad featuring explosive batters and a disciplined pace attack. Their familiarity with Edgbaston conditions could prove to be a significant advantage. England have made Edgbaston their fortress as they haven’t lost at the Birmingham-based venue since 2014.
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India were asked to bowl first by England in Birmingham. Senior pros Kohli, Rohit and Bumrah are back in the Indian set-up, adding the much-needed experience to the Indian side. India went with four seamers, including Shivam Dube and two spinners for the series opener. For England, Jos Buttler plays his 200th ODI, becoming the second Englishman after Eoin Morgan to reach the mark.
India remained wicketless in the first 10 overs after being asked to bowl. Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Gurnoor Brar chanced their arms to find swing and seam in hunt for early inroads, but they could not find any as Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell saw off the tough phase.
India have had some mixed results in the ODIs. They have won three and lost three of their six bilateral ODI series dating back to July 2024. The Men in Blue suffered away defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia and at home to New Zealand at the start of the year. The series is an important one for the Men in Blue and also for the Three Lions, as this presents a tough test to both of them with the ODI World Cup 2027 coming up in a little over a year. Meanwhile,
England have a strong record at Edgbaston, as they have not lost an ODI at the venue in the last 12 years. Their previous defeat at the venue came against India in 2014, and they have been on a seven-match winning run since then. Coming to the toss, India were asked to bat first after England won the toss. India have their seniors Kohli, Rohit and Bumrah back in the side.
England (Playing XI): Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna