ENG vs IND: India will look to give veteran player Jhulan Goswami a memorable farewell when they take on England in the first ODI at Hove on September 18. Goswami, the highest wicket-taker in ODIs with 252 scalps in 201 matches, is playing her last series before hanging up her boots. However, India has many problems to tackle in the ODI series after the 1-2 loss in the T20Is against England.
India needs to sort out their batting woes
Except for the second T20I when India batted well to chase down a target of 143, India’s batting was exposed when batting first in the remaining two games. India struggled to tackle the early swing on England pitches and lost wickets in a heap to throw away the game. Even in the second T20I which India won; the middle-order was hardly tested as opener Smriti Mandhana anchored the chase with a brilliant knock of 79 not out.
But come the ODI series where a player can take their time to settle down and play their strokes, India is in a better position to give a stiff fight to England. Mandhana, her partner Shefali Verma, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur will have to take more responsibility to cover up for a brittle middle order.
But all eyes will be on Indian bowler Jhulan Goswami who will be playing the last ODI series of her career. She will be teaming up with young Renuka Singh with the new ball and will be expected to lead from the front to sign off her career with a high.
Players to watch out for
Jhulan will be the star attraction of the series and is expected to play all three games. She will bring all her experience to the table to thwart England and give India the best chance in the series. Mandhana too will be the key for India as she is the in-form batswoman in the India squad currently.
We are in for a close finish here in Bristol! #TeamIndia are putting up a solid fight with the ball. 👍👍
England 92/3 after 15 overs & need 31 runs more from 5 overs. #ENGvIND
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/kRDuI8uFlA pic.twitter.com/HMS5mvxTjU
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 15, 2022
England banks on young players
England will be confident post the T20I series win as their young guns have fired in the absence of experienced players. Youngsters such as Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp who helped England win the T20I series have been drafted into the ODI squad for the first match. They are likely to make their debut and hopes will be high on them.
Kemp had become the youngest England player to score a T20I fifty in the second T20I, while Capsey led the chase brilliantly in the third T20I with 38* of 24 balls. They will look to carry the good form into the ODI series and hand India another series loss. Opener Tammy Beaumont is also back in the ODI series to add solidity to the top. Amy Jones has led superbly so far in the absence of regular captain Heather Knight who is out injured. Also, the stand-in captain Nat Sciver had opted out of the series for mental health issues.
Players to watch out for
Sophie Ecclestone, who took 3 for 25 in the third T20I to help England seal the series, is the key for England to give early breakthroughs and put pressure on a brittle Indian batting unit. Her left-arm orthodox bowling has troubled India so far, and she would look to do an encore in the ODI series. Also, the two youngsters in Kemp and Capsey could be counted on to deliver the goods for England.
A superb series win for this team. pic.twitter.com/4zJMRzwcwx
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 15, 2022
ENG vs IND: Head to head
England had beaten India in the last ODI series 2-1 at home in 2021. Overall, India has won 31, lost 40, and 2 no results in 73 ODIs against England. In the last 5 ODIs between the two teams, England has won 4 and lost 1 against India.
Pitch report of the first ODI at Hove:
The County Ground in Hove has seen just one international match – South Africa men’s team vs India in an ODI in the 1999 World Cup. South Africa won the match by 4 wickets. There might be some initial movement on the pitch that fast bowlers can exploit, but later the pitch will settle down and become good for batting. Hence, choosing to chase on winning the toss will be the best bet.
England vs India first ODI Telecast Details:
TV: Sony Ten
Live Streaming: Sony Liv App
ENG vs IND: Probable Playing XI
England: Tammy Beaumont, Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Danni Wyatt, Amy Jones (captain), Sophie Ecclestone, Kate Cross, Issy Wong, Freya Kemp
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), DayalanHemalatha, Pooja Vastrakar, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh, Jhulan Goswami, S Meghana
Squads for England vs India first ODI:
England: Amy Jones (C/WK), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Alice Davidson-Richards, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Freya Kemp, Emma Lamb, Issy Wong, Danni Wyatt
India: Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (Vice-Captain), Shafali Verma, Sabbineni Meghana, Deepti Sharma, Taniyaa Sapna Bhatia (WK), Yastika Bhatia (WK), Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Renuka Thakur, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Harleen Deol, DayalanHemalatha, Simran Dil Bahadur, Jhulan Goswami, Jemimah Rodrigues
