India Eye Series Win, England Aim for Decider in 2nd ODI at Barabati

Cuttack, Feb 8 – India will look to seal the three-match ODI series when they face England in the second encounter at Barabati Stadium on Sunday. After a dominant performance in the series opener at Nagpur, the hosts have momentum on their side, while the visitors will be eager to bounce back and force a series decider.

India’s convincing victory in the first ODI saw them successfully chase down England’s total of 248. However, the team remains concerned about skipper Rohit Sharma’s form, as he continues to struggle on his return to international cricket. With the ICC Champions Trophy approaching, the Indian captain will be keen to regain his rhythm.

Team India’s Strategy & Key Players
Young pacer Harshit Rana made an impressive debut in Nagpur, overcoming early pressure from England’s openers to claim three crucial wickets. His performance against the visitors’ top order will be crucial in Cuttack. Meanwhile, India’s batting order could see a shuffle, with Virat Kohli’s availability still uncertain due to a sore knee. His absence in the first ODI allowed Shreyas Iyer to step up with a fluent half-century, leaving the team management with a tough selection call if Kohli is fit to return.

“We just want to ensure that we do the right things consistently. There is nothing specific to achieve; it’s about ticking all the right boxes in bowling, batting, and other aspects,” Rohit Sharma said ahead of the match.

England Look to Bounce Back
England’s batting struggled in Nagpur, and their middle order will need to step up in order to challenge India’s strong bowling attack. The visitors will also depend on their bowling unit to contain India’s powerful batting lineup.

With the series on the line, an exciting contest awaits cricket fans in Cuttack. A win for India will wrap up the series, while England will fight to keep their hopes alive for a decider.

Squads:
India – Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy.

England – Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Philip Salt, Jamie Smith, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.