Rohit Sharma-led India almost has their ticket confirmed for the knockout stage of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup as the Men in Blue sit atop the league standings of the quadrennial tournament, having won all of their matches so far.
India’s next game is against defending champions England, who are teetering on the edge of elimination from the event. The 29th match of the World Cup 2023 will take place between India and England on Sunday at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium.
On Sunday, India will field their XI without Hardik Pandya, who reportedly had a ligament injury sustained in the match against Bangladesh, leading him to skip the clash against New Zealand as well.
Talking about the down-and-out Jos Buttler-led England side, they got a big blow in the form of their left-handed pacer, Reece Topley, who got ruled out from the tournament after fracturing his left index finger in the match against South Africa.
What have they done so far?
India is putting their heart and soul into winning the tournament. The Men in Blue commenced their WC campaign with one of the most challenging matches of the tournament, as they clashed against five-time champions Australia. Virat Kohli’s heroics, alongside KL Rahul’s calm and composed innings, led India to their first victory.
Following that, Rohit led from the front and smashed a century against Afghanistan, resulting in a one-sided win. Against Pakistan, India completely steamrolled their arch-rivals, securing their third consecutive win in the 2023 WC.
The caravan then stopped in Pune, where India gained two easy points against Bangladesh before heading to Dharamsala, where India defeated the Blackcaps in a 50-overs World Cup contest match for the first time in 20 years.
On Thursday, England lost to Sri Lanka by 8 wickets
On the other hand, England currently finds themselves in the ninth spot in the league standings, having lost four out of five matches. England began their campaign with a surprising loss against the Blackcaps but made a strong comeback against Bangladesh.
However, after that win, nothing worked in favor of the Englishmen as they suffered consecutive losses to Afghanistan, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Their chances for qualification are looking bleak, and one more loss would officially mean curtains for them.
Head to Head Record
India and England have played 106 ODI matches, with India winning 57 times and England securing victory 44 times. Two matches ended in a tie, and 3 matches resulted in a draw.
In the history of WC encounters, they have met 8 times, with England leading India with 4 victories to India’s 3, and one match ended in a tie in 2011.
India’s last World Cup victory against England was in 2003. If India defeats England on Sunday, it will be their first WC win over them in 20 years, similar to their recent victory over New Zealand in the previous match.
Key Players
Virat Kohli (India): Kohli has been in a league of his own, consistently scoring runs all over the ground with an astonishing average of 118 in the tournament so far. The cricketing wizard has amassed 354 runs in 5 innings, including one century against Bangladesh and three fifties against Australia, Afghanistan, and Blackcaps.
Virat Kohli missed his 48th ODI hundred by 5 runs against the Blackcaps
Since the Asia Cup 2023, Kohli has played 9 innings, during which he has recorded six scores of 50 or more, including two centuries. Speaking of his record against England, Kohli has played 35 matches, and the Indian batsman has scored 1340 runs with an average of 43.22, which includes 3 centuries and 9 fifties.
Dawid Malan (England): England’s opening batter Dawid Malan is showing signs of making significant runs as the Southpaw is the top run-scorer from his team in the tournament, having scored 220 runs in 5 innings with an average of 44. This also includes one century against Bangladesh.
In 2023, Malan is the highest run-getter from his side, having accumulated 811 runs in 14 innings with an average of 62.38, thanks to 4 centuries and 3 fifties. Dejected England fans are hopeful that Malan will step up against India, as he could pose a serious threat to the Indian bowling once he’s set.
Predicted XIs
India: Rohit Sharma ©, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler © (wk), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Prediction
The shoulders of the England team are slumped and they are just waiting for the tournament to end as things are not working under the leadership of Buttler. The expectations were sky-high for the English side before the tournament, but they looked completely lost in the event after Afghanistan handed them an upset.
However, India can’t take them lightly, as the wounded tiger is often called a dangerous beast. The Indian team is looking invincible at the moment, and a 20-year-long wait could come to an end on Sunday as India would fancy their chances and will be considered favorites against the tinder-dry England.