India will be taking on England in the first ODI of the three-match series this week. The first IND vs ENG ODI is scheduled to be played on Friday (February 6) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur.
With the ICC Champions Trophy to get underway later this month, both India and England will be keen to do well in the upcoming series. The momentum is definitely with India after their 4-1 victory in the T20I series and they will be looking to make the most of it.
On the other hand, England will be desperate to turn things around. A win in the ODI series will give England’s confidence a world of good ahead of the Champions Trophy. So before the first ODI gets underway, here is the match preview.
IND vs ENG Match Preview- 1st ODI, England tour of India 2025:
IND vs ENG 1st ODI Date and Venue:
The upcoming 1st IND vs ENG ODI will be played on Thursday (February 6) at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. The match will be played from 01:30 PM (IST).
Squads:
India:
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja
England:
Jos Buttler (C), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Philip Salt, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Mark Wood
IND vs ENG key battles:
Rohit Sharma vs Jofra Archer:
Rohit Sharma has been facing severe criticism in recent times. The India skipper has faced the heat not only for his leadership but his batting as well. Recently, he failed to impress in the Ranji Trophy as well. The right-handed batsman will be desperate to regain his form and lead India from the front in the first IND vs ENG ODI.
However, his plans could be foiled by Jofra Archer, one of the fastest bowlers in the world at present. With Rohit struggling, Archer would be looking to make the most of it. The England star looked in decent rhythm in the T20Is and will be looking to make life difficult for Rohit with the new ball.
Jos Buttler vs Kuldeep Yadav:
Jos Buttler will be one of England’s main players in the series. With England desperate to bounce back after the heavy defeat in the T20Is, the onus will be on their captain to deliver with the bat. Buttler looked in good touch in the T20I series and will be keen to start the ODI series on a good note as well.
Buttler is more than capable of playing a match-winning knock and India will be hoping that they don’t let the England captain deliver with the bat. The Men in Blue will be relying on their left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav to dismiss Buttler. Kuldeep has faced Buttler in two ODI innings so far and managed to get rid of him on both occasions.
Joe Root vs Arshdeep Singh:
Joe Root could also cause problems aplenty for India in the ODI series. One of the best batsmen of this generation, Root has ample experience playing in Indian conditions and will be looking to impress with the bat in the upcoming series.
India, on the other hand, will be hoping that their in-form pacer Arshdeep Singh manages to get rid of the former England captain early in the innings.
IND vs ENG Key Players
IND – Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Arshdeep Singh will be the key players for India.
ENG – Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, and Jofra Archer will be the key players for England.
IND vs ENG Weather And Pitch Report:
The match will be played in Nagpur and the weather report is very promising. There is no prediction for rain in Nagpur on the match day. The temperature will be in the early 30s in the first half of the game and will drop into the 20s after the sunset.
Talking about the pitch, batsmen are expected to enjoy their outing in the upcoming game. The average first innings total at the venue is close to 290 runs and the first ODI could turn out to be a high-scoring contest.
Conclusion:
With the T20I series done and dusted, the focus now shifts to the ODIs. Both India and England will be keen to win the upcoming series in order to go to the Champions Trophy with the winning momentum.
A good performance in the series will definitely enhance the confidence of the teams. Both sides will be keen to start the series on a winning note.
