CWC 2019: Five Indian cricketers and their English equivalents

The ICC World Cup is all set to keep us glued to cricketing action for about 45 days. Naturally, some teams will be considered as favorites to lift the trophy. India and England have emerged as two of the best ODI teams over the past 2 years and have put in strong performances. Due to their good recent form, India and England will start off as favorites to lift the coveted trophy.

Their teams will be compared and even the key players will draw comparisons. There will be player-to-player comparisons. While some of the comparisons might not be identical, there are some that attract the attention of fans.

On that note, here's a look at five Indian cricketers and their English equivalents.

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#5 Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes

England v Pakistan - 5th Royal London ODI

Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes are two of the best all-rounders in the modern world. Both of them can be devastating with the bat and have established themselves as power-hitters. While Stokes has a strike rate of 94.1 in ODIs, Pandya has a strike rate of 116.58.

They are also fast bowlers, who can bowl at speeds of 135-140 kph. They both like to hit the deck hard and rely on short pitched deliveries. They also have the tendency to leak runs at high economy rates. However, their tendency to leak runs has been made up by the fact that they have the knack of picking up crucial wickets.

They are great fielders and can create an impact with their fielding. Their brilliance in all three aspects of the game is what makes them great all-rounders. While Hardik Pandya is often compared with Kapil Dev, Ben Stokes has attracted comparisons with Ian Botham. Both of them are considered as the greatest all-rounders to have played for their countries.

The fast-bowling all-rounders also had moments to forget in the 2016 World T20, when their errors proved to be costly. Off the field, these two talented players have been involved in quite a few controversial incidents.

#4 Rohit Sharma and Jason Roy

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 4

Rohit Sharma has established himself as one of the best batsmen in the world. He is a regular in the limited over formats, but has failed to cement his place in the longer version of the game. Jason Roy is also a regular for England in the limited over formats, but is yet to make his Test match debut.

Both of them are great openers in white ball cricket, and can destroy opposition teams with their aggressive nature of batting. Both these players love playing against Australia. While Jason Roy has scored 3 of his 8 ODI hundreds against the Kangaroos, Rohit Sharma has scored 7 of his 22 hundreds against them.

They are middle-order batsmen in first class cricket for their domestic teams. They are good fielders and have taken some breathtaking catches over the years.

#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes

India v Australia - ODI Series: Game 5

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes are two of the best swing bowlers in the world. They debuted as new-ball specialists for their countries. They are the senior-most fast bowlers for their teams and are the leaders of the pack. While they started off as new-ball bowlers, they have improved their death bowling skills in recent times.

In addition to their bowling skills, they are also good batsmen lower down the order. Some of their knocks have helped their teams win games as well. Both of them have scored more runs against Australia than they have against any other team. Incidentally, both of them have picked up 15 wickets each against the Windies in their 50-over careers.

Both of them played their first Test match against Australia. They have also been a part of RCB in their IPL careers.

#2 MS Dhoni and Jos Buttler

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

MS Dhoni and Jos Buttler are arguably the best wicket-keeper batsmen in the world. With their cat-like reflexes, they are wicket-keepers that any team would love to have. They are quick, agile, and have presence of mind to inflict game-changing stumpings and run-outs. In fact, their presence behind the stumps has won their teams many games.

Keeping aside, they are unquestionably two of the greatest finishers of their generations. While Dhoni was the best finisher a couple of years ago, Buttler has now overtaken him to become the best finisher. They are generally cool customers, who don't let pressure get the better of them.

While Buttler is England's vice-captain in the limited over formats, Dhoni also performs a similar sort of role for India. Both these players will be remembered as the first T20 superstars for their countries.

#1 Virat Kohli and Joe Root

England v India: Specsavers 4th Test - Day One

Virat Kohli and Joe Root are a part of the modern 'Fab 4'. They have established themselves as the best batsmen of this decade. Their batting performances are very important for their teams, and they play a key role in deciding the fate of the game. They come in at No. 3 in the limited over formats and at No. 4 in Test matches.

They are also the captains for their countries. While Virat Kohli captains India in all 3 formats of the game, Joe Root leads England in the longer version of the game. Both of them enjoyed the year 2017 as it was their most prolific year in terms of run scoring in ODI cricket.

The way these 2 modern maestros perform could be instrumental in deciding the winner of the 12th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup.