🏏England tour of India 2025: 1st ODI: 6/2/2025 at 1:30 PM IST🏏 - Page 4

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana are making their India ODI debuts today. The cap presentation event is done and India continue with their pre-match preparations

Traditionally, this hasn't been a high-scoring ground, the reason being the dimensions. 69m and 68m square boundaries, 75m straight boundary. We're playing on a red-soil pitch and it looks good for batting. It's rock hard, there's a bit of grass, but there's no moisture and it's dry. Not a lot in it for the bowlers, but this being a red soil pitch, spin will come into play later on. It's a good cricket pitch and a high score can be expected. There's some breeze blowing over and the spinners would like to bowl from that end. Dew could be a factor and the captain winning the toss could ideally look to bowl first, reckon Deep Dasgupta and Graeme Swann, in their pitch report

England have already named their playing XI. Jamie Smith, Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton will be sitting out this game. This means England will have three pace and three spin options, four if you include Root as well. And Root by the way will be playing his first ODI game since the 2023 World Cup. England will look for improvements in Archer, who probably has not been as lethal as he was before the long injury break. Can Brook and Duckett pass the spin test?

India have made an interesting addition of Varun Chakaravarthy to their ODI setup given his stellar showing in the shorter format. Expect the management to give him game time. Arshdeep will also be shouldering responsibility in the absence of Bumrah. Can he be the long term left-arm angle that India would love to have in the ODI format as well? Does Pant get a look in just to add a left-hander in the top 7?

Toss time-- England won the toss and decided to bat first.

Kohli is not playing today

Because of 'last evening's injury' Virat is not playing today.

Virat Kohli has a strapping around his right knee and is seen walking gingerly as he joins the team in some light practice session

England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood

Rohit Sharma - We wanted to bowl first, but it doesn't matter a lot. Need to be aggressive with the ball at the start and then need to do well later. Nice to get some time off, it's a fresh start and this is a great chance to do well. It's very important to get some gametime, try and maximize whatever opportunity we have. Jaiswal and Harshit are making his debut, unfortunately Virat isn't playing, he had a knee problem last night.

Jos Buttler - We will bat first today. Nice thing going in the dressing room, looking forward to these ODis and we're happy to welcome back Joe Root. The morale has been good, everyone's good and the Baz has looked after us well. We're playing against a top-side in their conditions, a tough test ahead of the CT. We're playing 3 spacers and an extra spin-bowling all-rounder.

England have won the toss and have opted to bat

Playing 11

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami

England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood

Boys don't disappoint please

Harpreet: "India is always looking for a left-arm pacer!!And they decided to bench him when they have a left-arm pacer in good form. Strange decision!!" I think India want to try out Rana before they have to include him for CT25

Rana v Salt - who will win this KKR battle?

Rana plz 🙏🏻