India vs England, 2nd ODI: Fantasy Preview

India managed to survive Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy's early onslaught and made a stunning comeback to win the first ODI and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Virat Kohli and Co. would now look to seal the series when they take on England at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Friday (March 26).

India have the upper hand in overall record, winning 54 out of the 101 ODIs between the two countries. England, however, have been dominant in recent times.

Head to Head

Overall: Matches – 101 | IND – 54 wins | ENG – 42 wins

Last five matches: IND – 2 wins | ENG – 3 wins

Suggested Teams

While you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your own team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. Based on algorithms we have come up with six different teams the could fetch crucial points.

Ground Details and Team Combination

The MCA Stadium has not hosted many games of late. The series opener on Tuesday was only the sixth ODI at this venue and the first since 2018. The surface was solid for batting but it did offer some assistance to the fast bowlers. The likes of Mark Wood, Ben Stokes, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Prasidh Krishna were all amongst wickets and it would be ideal to have at least four of them in your XI.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, Sam Billings and Eoin Morgan sustained injuries in the first ODI. While Iyer is out for the rest of the series, we have no news on the availability of the other three. Rohit is most likely to play the second ODI and you could take a call on his inclusion after the toss. Hardik Pandya didn't bowl in the first encounter but his brother Krunal had a superb debut. You could go for someone like Krunal or Moeen Ali to add some balance to your XI.

Captain Selection

Going by his standards, Virat Kohli didn't have a great 2020 and a number of ducks in the first quarter of 2021 hinted at an extended lean patch. The Indian skipper, however, managed to turn things around in the T20I series against England and even scored a fifty in the first ODI. The right-hander amassed three scores in excess of 70, staying unbeaten on all three occasions and went on to clinch the man-of-the-series award in T20Is. Kohli looked in fine touch in the first ODI, scoring a 60-ball 56, but couldn't carry on. The batting maestro hasn't scored a century for a while but going by his form, Kohli could break that drought on Friday.

X-Factors

Shikhar Dhawan only featured in one T20I against England but is still India's first-choice opener in ODIs. On Tuesday, the left-hander displayed why he is one of the finest openers of the current generation as he slammed a 106-ball 98 to get India off to a solid start. Dhawan was named Player of the Match for his efforts but would be disappointed to not complete his century. In ODIs since 2018, Dhawan has scored 1868 runs at an average of 46.7 and has also slammed eight fifties and five tons.

Jonny Bairstow almost forced India into submission in the first match with his outstanding strokeplay. The right-handed opener smoked six fours and seven sixes in his 66-ball 94 and put on 135 runs in just 14.2 overs with Jason Roy. Bairstow (1284) is the highest run-scorer for England in ODIs since 2019, 221 runs ahead of the second-place Morgan (1063). Bairstow seemed like a fish out of water in the Test series but has looked relatively comfortable in the T20Is and the first ODI.

Mark Wood (32) is England's second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs since 2019, only behind Chris Woakes (36) and Adil Rashid (36). Wood has picked those 32 wickets in just 18 innings, at a strike rate of 30.3, which is better than every England bowler in this time frame. The tearaway paceman picked up five wickets in the T20I series and followed it up with two more in the first ODI. In rhythm and with the opportunities at his disposal, Wood must be an automatic selection in your XI.