BRISTOL. India’s nightmare of a Test series may have been over and they now look forward to a format of the game they are much more comfortable with, One Day Internationals. The first ODI between India and England starts today at Bristol and you may watch it live on Star Sports starting at 2:55 PM. Indian fans are understandably tired of losing, and would want their fancied, overpaid and over hyped superstars to start performing and win at least something for the country.
But India have done badly even in ODIs plays outside the subcontinent of late, failing to win any of the last seven matches played by them, losing in South Africa and New Zealand. The batting had failed spectacularly in both countries, and is chiefly to blame rather than the bowling. Indian batsmen do so well at home that it masks their deficiencies when playing outside the subcontinent.
Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and others should be prepared for an extension of the torture suffered in the Investec Test series as James Anderson will be opening the bowling attack yet again for England, having refused rest. Anderson seems to have an agenda against the Indians, who haven’t helped matters by trying to get him ousted from the Test series by levelling charges of violent conduct – something which has only had the effect of firing Jimmy up. Anderson has clearly never bowled better.
The Indian batting remains unchanged from the Test series apart from a couple of omissions, notably Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara. But none of the new names, whether it’s Suresh Raina or Ambati Rayudu, are known to possess the technique needed to handle the seaming ball on bowler friendly conditions.
India’s poor show abroad is a real concern as they defend the ODI World Cup, which they had so famously won in 2011, in Australia next year, where their frailties are bound to get exposed yet again. India’s selections for this ODI series has been surprising as they have chosen to omit the only genuine fast bowler they had in their side in the Investec Test series, Varun Aaron from the ODI squad. True, they have a capable replacement in the equally fast Umesh Yadav, but one fails to understand why Aaron and Yadav can’t be part of the same side.
England may be on a high after their win in the Test series, but their ODI form is nothing to write home about, having lost badly to Australia, both at home and away, and going down to Sri Lanka at home. But surely, they will be hoping to do a lot better against India. England will be missing Stuart Broad who gets a well deserved rest and have an exciting new talent in Alex Hales, the swashbuckling Nottingamshire opening batsman.
Possible teams:
England: Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Chris Woakes/Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Jordan, James Tredwell, James Anderson, Harry Gurney
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav
Bristol Pitch and Weather
The weather at Bristol looks really bad and there is a real chance of the match being washed out, with 100% chances of rain. The Bristol pitch has always been a batting paradise, but the overcast conditions may assist the quick bowlers.
