Men in Blue take on England in the second ODI today
Cardiff: Skipper Shubman Gill’s fitness and Rohit Sharma’s form are major concerns for India as they seek to lock a much-needed series victory over England in the second ODI here on Wednesday.
India’s six-wicket win in the first match in Birmingham gave them a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, but it also highlighted some worrying aspects of the team’s performance.Batting on 80, Gill had to walk off the field in palpable pain and India would hope that it was nothing more than cramps.
A similar exit by Gill last year during the first Test against South Africa at Kolkata had led to hospitalisation, rendering him unavailable for the remainder of that engagement.
So, the Men in Blue will not want an encore as Gill’s presence is imperative as leader and a tone-setting opener.
While his opening partner Rohit does not carry any such fitness issues, the management will certainly look at his batting numbers.
The Mumbai man seemed to have shelved his brazen aggression since losing captaincy, but the changed approach has not brought any bigger dividend yet.
The ‘Hitman’ has played 13 ODIs just as a senior member in the team since October last year, making 563 runs at an average of 46.91 with a hundred and four fifties.
It’s not a record to scoff at. But the current dynamics within the Indian dressing room and the absence of the safety net of captaincy around him have made it mandatory for Rohit to deliver on almost every outing.
It will be a stretch of imagination to think that Rohit will be out of contention in the race to 2027 ODI World Cup even if he courts a couple of more failures, but the way the think tank looked over Suryakumar Yadav and Sanju Samson recently offers a warning note to him.
Match starts @5.30 PM
