Virat Kohli’s first full series as limited-overs captain has been fruitful so far as the Indian team have won the first two ODIs to seal the series. However, the third ODI against England at Kolkata will be interesting as it will be India’s final match in the format before the ICC Champions Trophy in June.
Having already sealed the series, there might be a temptation to look at a couple of other players in preparation of the Champions Trophy, which is the next major tournament for the side. England are already without the services of opener Alex Hales and it will be interesting to see how India approach the final ODI.
Having already made one change from the first to the second ODI by replacing Umesh Yadav with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kohli has shown that he isn’t afraid to make changes to the side if it is needed.
Here we take a look at the predicted team for the third ODI.
Openers
If there is one position that India have struggled with so far in the series, it has been at the top of the order. Deprived of the services of Rohit Sharma, who is still recovering after his surgery, India have struggled to get off to a strong start in the first two ODIs.
Both KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan have excellent records in ODIs but the pair haven’t really clicked in the ODIs that they have played together in. With Dhawan suffering an injury scare, it might be wise to pick someone ahead of him, just to see if a different combination yields a different result.
Ajinkya Rahane scored a match-winning knock as captain in the second warm-up match against England and it makes sense to try him out as opener, ahead of Dhawan, especially with the Champions Trophy looming large and India having little practice in the format before then.
Although a fully-fit Rohit Sharma will waltz back into the line-up, his opening partner is still a spot that is still up for grabs and with neither KL Rahul or Shikhar Dhawan impressing in this series and the latter suffering an injury scare, it is time, India try a new combination in Rahul and Rahane.
Middle-order
Before the start of the series all eyes were on the Indian middle-order, which although packed with experience, was filled with players who either hadn’t played the format in a while or didn’t live up to their past performances in the recent past.
But centuries for Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and a career-best for Yuvraj Singh have allayed fears and shown just why experience should always be trusted. With all three scoring a century and looking good at No.3 - No.5, it is unlikely that there will be any change in the middle order.
Virat Kohli is in the form of his life and even if he had a failure in the second ODI, his century in a winning cause in the first and his form over the last couple of years make him a daunting prospect to bowl to.
With their centuries in the second ODI, Yuvraj and Dhoni not only turned back the clock but also gave Kohli a strong middle-order to fall back in case either he, or the openers don’t fire.
All-rounders
Kedhar Jadhav’s Man of the Match-winning performance in the first ODI has all but cemented his place in the the XI for the Champions Trophy and after toiling hard for most of his career, he has made the most of his chance so far in the ODI series.
With his handy off-spin, Jadhav has shown that he is an all-rounder who can be of a great addition in the middle-order. Aside from his exploits with the bat, where he has shown that he can take over the role of a finisher, his bowling gives him a huge advantage and he will certainly keep his place.
Although Hardik Pandya guided India home in the first ODI and showed great composure, he hasn’t impressed with the ball in hand. Despite being given a relatively new ball, his exploits with the ball haven’t been as successful.
However, the flexibility that he gives the side and his ability with the bat means that he will continue to take his place in the third ODI. Finishers who can bash the ball and can also pick up wickets are hard to find which is likely to work in Pandya’s favour.
Spinners
After a poor showing in the first ODI, where Ravichandran Ashwin looked out of sorts, the leading wicket-taker in international cricket in 2016, came back with a bang as he picked up three wickets in the second ODI and justified his place in the side.
Ravindra Jadeja, on the other hand, has shown that despite not playing in the format has no impact on his ability to be effective. In both ODIs, he has been economical and while scores of 350 have been racked up by both sides in both ODIs, Jadeja has gone at under 5 rpo in the series.
Having not played an ODI for almost a year, both Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are yet to find their best in the series so far. But there can be little doubt that they have established themselves and despite a bad game or two, deserve the captain’s trust for all they have done, which is why both will retain their place in the third ODI.
Fast bowlers
After missing out in the first match to Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar came back to the side in the second ODI and made all the difference as he helped India get over the line and clinch the series. His ability to swing the ball early in the game and bowl yorkers at the death, makes him an invaluable asset.
Jasprit Bumrah may have picked two wickets in each of the first two ODIs but has been incredibly expensive. However, his ability to nail his yorkers and the awkward angle and trajectory that he creates makes him someone that is hard to handle early on.
That is why India are likely to stick with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah for the third ODI and not tinker too much in the fast bowling department. After an impressive display at the death by the pair it certainly doesn’t make sense to change them.
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