3rd ODI: England Opt to Bowl First; India Rest Jadeja and Shami
England's captain, Jos Buttler, won the toss and opted to field first in the third and final ODI of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.
Ahmedabad: England’s captain, Jos Buttler, won the toss and opted to field first in the third and final ODI of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.
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India Make Changes Ahead of Champions Trophy
India made several changes to their playing XI for this crucial match, with Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami being rested as part of preparations for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Varun Chakravarthy also missed out due to a sore calf, with Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar being included in the squad.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed, “Varun Chakravarthy was unavailable for selection for the 3rd ODI due to a sore right calf.”
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England Forced to Make a Change
England were also forced to make a change to their squad. Jacob Bethell, who had sustained a left hamstring injury in the second ODI, will miss out on the Champions Trophy. In his place, Tom Banton has been added to the squad and will replace Jamie Overton in the playing XI.
England captain Jos Buttler explained the decision, “We have batted first in the first two games, so it will be a different experience today ahead of the Champions Trophy. It’s a decent wicket, and we have one change—Tom Banton comes in for Jamie Overton into the side.”
India Look to Continue Strong Performance
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, expressed his preference for batting first, saying, “I wanted to bat first and put runs on the board because we bowled first in the last two games. It was important for us to get a win in the last game. The fielders portrayed themselves well in the last two games, with a lot of young blood. We want to continue doing well in the field.”
He also mentioned the changes in the playing XI, adding, “Jadeja and Shami have been rested, unfortunately, Varun has a sore calf. So, Washi, Kuldeep, and Arshdeep come into the side.”
Indian Batters in Strong Form
India’s top-order batters have been in excellent form in the series, with Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer occupying the top three spots for most runs scored. Gill, who contributed an 87-run match-winning knock in the first ODI, followed it up with an elegant 60 in the second game. Rohit Sharma also returned to form with a 119-run knock in the second match.
England’s Struggles with Batting Consistency
For England, Ben Duckett has been their most consistent batter but has struggled to capitalize on good starts. Duckett’s controversial comments before the game, where he stated that he didn’t care about winning the ODI series as long as England beat India in the final of the Champions Trophy, added fuel to the rivalry ahead of this game.
Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
England: Philip Salt(w), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Tom Banton, Liam Livingstone, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood.
