NEW DELHI: India skipper Rohit Sharma surprised many while announcing the playing XI ahead of the first ODI against England in Nagpur on Thursday. England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and decided to bat first.
The team handed debut caps to young batter Yashasvi Jaiswal and pacer Harshit Rana, marking a fresh start as India fine-tuned their squad ahead of the Champions Trophy. However, the absence of star batter Virat Kohli due to a knee injury raised concerns.
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During the toss, Rohit revealed, “We wanted to bowl first, but it doesn’t matter a lot. Need to be aggressive with the ball at the start and then do well later. Nice to get some time off, it’s a fresh start, and this is a great chance to do well. It’s very important to get some game time, try and maximise whatever opportunity we have. Jaiswal and Harshit are making their debut, unfortunately, Virat isn’t playing, he had a knee problem last night.”
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England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss, emphasising their preparation for the Champions Trophy. “We will bat first today. Nice thing going in the dressing room, looking forward to these ODIs, and we’re happy to welcome back Joe Root. The morale has been good, everyone’s good, and Baz has looked after us well. We’re playing against a top side in their conditions, a tough test ahead of the CT. We’re playing three pacers and an extra spin-bowling all-rounder,” Buttler said.
For India, seasoned campaigners Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja were included in the playing XI, while England brought in veteran batter Joe Root, playing his first ODI since the 2023 World Cup.
With a mix of youth and experience, both teams are looking to finalise their combinations before the marquee ICC event.
India vs England 1st ODI Playing XIs:
- India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul (w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami
- England XI: Ben Duckett, Philip Salt (w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
