Ahmedabad: A big knock from Virat Kohli along with a series sweep over England will be on Team India’s wishlist when the two teams square off in the third and final ODI here on Wednesday, marking the end of their Champions Trophy build-up.
While India hold an unassailable 2-0 lead with identical four-wicket wins in each of the first two ODIs, Rohit Sharma’s men will be extra motivated to get a win here at the Narendra Modi Stadium where they had suffered a crushing ODI World Cup final loss in 2023.
Having their batting mainstay Kohli among runs and a win would be perfect culmination to the home side’s Champions Trophy preparations. The eight-team competition gets underway from February 19 in Karachi with India starting against Bangladesh the next day in Dubai as per a hybrid model of hosting.
The team has already got a shot in the arm by Rohit’s return to form. His 90-ball 119 in the second ODI was a source of relief to both the side and to him after a prolonged run of poor scores. Kohli hasn’t looked completely out of touch but hasn’t stayed at the crease for long enough to give himself a chance for a big knock either.
If he manages to click, Kohli is in with a chance create another record. He is 89 runs short of becoming only the third batter in history to score 14,000 runs in the format which arguably has been the run-machine’s favourite.
India don’t seem to have put a foot wrong in this series as they continue to make the most of their rich reservoir of talent.
The addition of Varun Chakravarthy has given additional ammunition to their lethal spin attack which will be vital for the Champions Trophy and Mohammed Shami’s return after lengthy injury layoff has been seamless too.
Shami’s successful comeback has certainly been assuring given that the Indian team management will spend an anxious day on Tuesday awaiting news on their premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, whose availability for the Champions Trophy is still under doubt.
As per the original time-line, Bumrah was slated for a comeback in the Ahmedabad ODI, but the ace pacer is currently toiling at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru under the watchful eyes of specialists aiming to make the final squad that is set to be unveiled on Wednesday
Bumrah’s guile on varied pitches and conditions is something that no team across the world possesses and India would be desperate to have their trump card back in the mix as they chase
another ICC trophy.
Both India and England will enjoy an off day on Tuesday as they have skipped training and other pre-match routines to rest and recuperate.
Having ended his troubled run with the bat with a characteristic hundred in Cuttack, Rohit’s confidence will certainly rub off on the rest of the side. While Yashasvi Jaiswal could continue to warm the bench, India will expect better application and results from wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, who is going through a lean patch himself.
But it would not be a surprise if India give the flamboyant Rishabh Pant a crack to get some game time.