Follow UsIndia are set to take on England in the third ODI of the three-match series at Old Trafford in Manchester on Sunday (July 17). The series is currently leveled at 1-1. England lost the first ODI in the most comprehensive manner but came storming back in the second ODI with a memorable bowling performance - bundling out India for 146. The visitors last won a bilateral ODI series in England eight years ago. Having dominated most part of this white-ball tour, they would like to materialize it into a series victory against the current ODI world champions.
Ground Details and Team Combination
The last time Old Trafford hosted an ODI game was also the last time England lost a bilateral ODI series at home. Australia recovered from 73/5 to chase down 303 to clinch the series against England in September 2020. Overall since 2019, Old Trafford has been a good batting venue. 298 is the average total here while batting first, the highest among all England venues in the time frame. But knowing the venue hasn’t hosted any ODI cricket in the past two years, ging by raw numbers might not be the best idea. Also, this has been a strange English summer where the white ball has swung more consistently than the red ball.
Eight wickets have fallen in the 40 overs of the first powerplay in this series. There is a high possibility that the trend will continue and hence, you should not miss out on the new ball bowlers. Openers have enjoyed their time in England ever since the host country’s revolution as a white-ball cricket nation but that hasn’t been the case in this series. Therefore, you can compromise on some of the top-order batters. All-rounders will be the key, especially seam bowling all-rounders.
Suggested team
While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captain and vice-captain suggestions
For small leagues: Jasprit Bumrah (c), Reece Topley (vc)
For grand leagues: David Willey (c), Rohit Sharma (vc)
Stats That Matter
- Jasprit Bumrah has accounted for four of the eight powerplay wickets in the series. Overall, he has eight wickets to his name in these two ODIs. The right-arm seamer has extracted the lateral movement of the ball to full effect. After a couple of lean years in the format, Bumrah is back to his best and is the safest choice to lead your fantasy fortunes in this do-or-die contest.
- Seven years after making his international debut in 2015, Reece Topley is finally enjoying a gala time in his career at the highest level. The left-arm seamer as won two player-of-the-match awards in his last three appearances for England - 3/22 in the third T20I and a record-breaking 6/24 in the second ODI. India’s top-order has shown susceptibility against left-arm pace on many occasions which makes a Topley a priceless asset for your fantasy XI.
- Mohammad Shami has dismissed Jos Buttler five times in ODI cricket. That is the record for most number of times a bowler has had the better of Buttler in the format. The Englishman averages only 15.8 against India pacers. Buttler’s scores since the first T20I against India are 0, 4, 18, 30, 4 and he has been dismissed by pace every single time.
- Old Trafford is Jonny Bairstow’s favorite venue to play ODI cricket. The Yorkshireman has scored 425 runs here, the most by him at any venue. He averages 60.7 at a strike-rate of 86.9 including two hundreds.
Grand League Punts
- David Willey’s impressive performances of late have been overshadowed by either a poor batting show by his team or a more exquisite display by his teammates. Lord’s was the perfect example of that where Willey got only one wicket for his brilliant spell with the ball. In addition, he also contributed with a vital 41 with the bat. Considering the low returns from England’s top-order, there is a good chance Willey will get another opportunity to create an all-round impact with his skills.
- Virat Kohli averages only 22.8 in seven ODIs this year. But knowing what he can do, we are stuck in a dilemma. Whether you pick him or not, it is a risk both ways. We have taken the risk of not picking him but in case India is chasing again, you can pick him over Rishabh Pant. In his brief ODI career, Pant averages 47.8 while batting first but only 12.9 when he is in a run chase.
- Rohit Sharma averages 38.5 this year in five ODIs while striking at 108.5. He was out for a 10-ball duck at Lord’s but his blazing 76* at Oval showcased what he can do if he gets the start. His frailties against left-arm pace aside, the India skipper can be a good punt to play on as your if you want to crack a grand league.
Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections:
Probable XIs
England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (c/wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, David Willey, Craig Overton, Brydon Carse, Reece Topley
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Mohammad Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Prasidh Krishna