Last Updated on 23 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey
A wounded India will welcome back a number of big-name players to the fold for the ODI series against England, beginning at Edgbaston on July 14.
They have failed to register a win on the T20 leg of their UK tour, whilst England put their disappointment in the Test arena behind them to romp to the summit of the T20I rankings.
The big guns roll into town to bring added intrigue
It has been a whirlwind of a summer for English cricket, and this is only part one, with Pakistan and Sri Lanka to come later after the break for The Hundred.
A chaotic home Test series defeat, culminating in the end of Ben Stokes’s career, rolled almost immediately into a superb 4-0 rout of the T20 world champions.
Combined with the ongoing FIFA World Cup and other recent major British sporting events, the start of another bilateral series would usually not be greeted with a great deal of appetite.
But these three matches should hold both plenty of interest and significance, even in a time when the ODI format is increasingly consigned to diminished relevancy.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will feature for likely the final time in England, in the only format the pair still turn out on the international stage, whilst skipper Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav also enter the fray.
With Kohli comes star power who, despite his age and reduced workload schedule, still continues to showcase his greatness with back-to-back IPL titles and six scores of more than fifty in his previous seven ODI outings.
The 37-year-old now lives in London and has regular net sessions at Lord’s, where the third ODI takes place, looking to add to his solitary ODI century in England which actually came in Wales at Sophia Gardens which will host the second match of the series.
India seek to salvage England tour
Not many would have predicted the recently-crowned T20 World Cup winners to lose six out of six completed games, and even fewer would have foreseen the manner in which they have come up so short in one-sided contests.
There was an aura of invincibility to the India white-ball machine as they became the first nation to defend their T20 title in March – a 12th consecutive tournament or series win – but now the BCCI will be conducting a review meeting upon the squad’s arrival back home, as per cricinfo.
Rather conveniently, a first series defeat since 2023 followed swiftly by a second comes at the start of a new cycle, with more than two years until the next T20 World Cup in Australia and plenty of time to address lessons from slightly unfamiliar conditions away from the IPL.
Captaincy has changed hands with Suryakumar Yadav’s successor Shreyas Iyer overseeing a first-ever defeat to Ireland and first bilateral series loss to England, whilst T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson was victim to the Vaibhav Sooryavanshi narrative which dominated the headlines as one of plenty selection inconsistencies.
The batters collectively failed to adjust to the extra bounce and lacked any sort of discipline, whilst the absence of the reliable Bumrah and Hardik Pandya left both the bowling attack and all-rounder department brutally exposed.
India’s talent depth is undeniable. A poor tour does not suddenly undo all the recent success but perhaps they may have a point to prove with the next two ICC events held outside of Asia.
They may have surrendered top spot in the T20I rankings but they are still the frontrunner in the ODI format which feels the primary focus at this moment. However, there will now be an added pressure to find a winning formula this coming week.
Brook and Baz lift the mood
What a difference a week can make.
Whilst a 4-0 victory over India will in no way defuse the widespread frustration around the more valued Test setup, or avenge the T20 World Cup semi-final defeat, it should not be underestimated just how impressive Harry Brook’s side have been with a string of ruthless displays with both bat and ball.
Since Brook replaced Jos Buttler as white-ball captain after being hammered in India last year, England have lost just one game across T20I bilateral series and gave a strong account of themselves in the World Cup.
Their whitewash victory in Sri Lanka at the start of the year was eye-opening as an identity formed for being highly adaptable – a common criticism of the Test side – and that was on display over the duration of this series.
Josh Tongue made his T20I debut in Manchester but it is an otherwise settled side with defined roles – the captain cemented himself at No.3, Will Jacks as the finisher, the faith in spin and Sam Curran’s variations to supplement the two quicks.
Brook certainly demonstrated his leadership credentials in rather timely fashion and also provided a reminder of his absurd generational talent, following the backlash he received for his dismissal in the New Zealand Test two weeks ago.
Another pleasing aspect will be the top order contributions which India was unable to replicate. Jacob Bethell won the hosts the game at Old Trafford with 76 off 46, Phil Salt’s 70 anchored the innings at Trent Bridge where bowlers took the plaudits, Brook stole the show in Bristol with a destructive 79 and Buttler – who was under increasing pressure around his form – saved the best until last with a staggering career-best 131 in a record 233-run stand between captains past and present.
ODI World Cup preparations ramp up
For both sides, attention will be turning to the ODI World Cup in South Africa next year.
The rankings do not make as pleasant a reading for England in the ODI format, currently down in eighth, having won just two of their previous eight bilateral series and producing fairly wretched performances in group stage exits at the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.
At times the T20I series was quite literally men versus boys, but the ODI matchups should prove a much sterner test as England look to build on the Sri Lanka tour and find their groove in the longer white-ball format under Brook’s captaincy.
There could be a new opening partnership in the form of Bethell joining Ben Duckett, Joe Root returns for an anticipated head-to-head with Kohli, Gus Atkinson is added to the fast bowling group, whilst exciting duo Rehan Ahmed and James Coles will be hoping for an opportunity to press their case.
It has been a bit of a déjà vu from the winter for England. A dismal Test series immediately followed by uplifting white-ball performances.
Another series win may not be enough to save Brendon McCullum’s job as Test coach this time but it will extend some much needed positivity around the England cricket team.
