A demoralised India go into the five-match ODI series against England with batting collapses and toothless bowling repeatedly haunting them.
Coming into the series as world’s No 1 Test team and ODI world champions, India have had a nightmarish English summer with the visitors tasting victory only in the three practice matches ahead of the limited-overs rubber.
After the whitewash in the Tests, India lost the lone Twenty20 International by six wickets in Manchester on Wednesday and things don’t look too bright ahead of the ODIs, the first of which will be played in Chester-le-Street on Saturday. Looking at England’s ruthless form and India’s misery, it would prove to be a Herculean task for MS Dhoni and his men to get the better of the home team.
England are now the No 1 side in Tests and reigning Twenty20 world champions, and it is only logical to believe that they would now aim for pole position in the ODI charts as well. A 5-0 sweep would take them to No 3 in the ICC’s ODI rankings table behind Australia and Sri Lanka. Ranked number 3 India would, in that case, slip to fifth position.
Moreover, the upcoming series would also give England the opportunity to avenge their 1-5 and 0-5 drubbing at the hands of India on two previous visits to the sub-continent. Also, it would put Alastair Cook’s men in the right frame of mind for their return visit to India next month for another five-match series.
The Indians have been plagued by injuries ever since they set foot on English soil. Dhoni & Co will be without Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh in the ODI series. While Zaheer’s tour ended before it started, Yuvraj, Sehwag and Harbhajan followed suit with Gambhir being the latest casualty. But in spite of these injuries, the Indians still have a formidable batting line-up.
While Sachin Tendulkar would be eagerly waiting to reach his much-anticipated 100th international century, Rahul Dravid would want to leave his mark in the last ODI series of his career. But the series would be a test of character for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane.
However, the main concern for Dhoni would be his toothless bowling attack. Except for Praveen Kumar, who can pose a few challenges, and Munaf Patel, who is skillful at the death, the rest of the attack looks ordinary. Besides, the absence of a genuine fifth bowler is a huge worry for India.
Approaching Milestones
- Sachin Tendulkar (14,995 at an average of 48.84 in 330 innings) needs just five runs to become the first batsman to complete 15,000 runs as an opener in ODIs.
- As an opener, Sachin has recorded 44 hundreds and 74 fifties - the most at this position by any batsman in ODIs. Sanath Jayasuriya has recorded 28 centuries and 66 fifties and Saeed Anwar 20 centuries and 37 fifties while opening the batting.
- India have played just one ODI at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street against England on July 4, 2002. The rain-affected game could not produce a result.
- England have contested eight games at Chester-le-Street, winning four and losing three. (NR one - against India).
- James Anderson (199 wickets at an average of 30.87 in 147 matches) requires just a solitary wicket to become the second English bowler to claim 200 wickets or more in ODIs. Darren Gough had taken 235 wickets (ave.26.42) in 159 ODIs.
- Jonathan Trott is the only England batsman to have averaged 50 or more in Tests as well as ODIs - 1965 runs at an average of 57.79 in 23 Tests and 1485 at an average of 53.03 in 31 ODIs.
- Tendulkar, in case of a hundred, would be the first to register 100 international hundreds.
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