England bowl as Kishan replaces Rahul in Ind Eng 2nd ODI
England captain Harry Brook won the toss and chose to bowl in the Ind Eng second ODI at Cardiff, with Ishan Kishan replacing an unwell KL Rahul behind the stumps. The hosts trail the three-match series after a comfortable defeat at Edgbaston and have reinforced their seam attack for Sophia Gardens.
The second one-day international of the series is underway in Wales after India took a 1-0 lead with a six-wicket win in Birmingham on Tuesday. Brook opted to field first, a decision India captain Shubman Gill said he would have made as well.
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Key Takeaways
- Harry Brook won the toss and England elected to bowl first in Cardiff.
- Ishan Kishan comes in for KL Rahul, who is unwell, and takes the gloves.
- England make two changes: Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson replace Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson.
- Shubman Gill is fit after retiring hurt on 80 with cramp in the first ODI.
- India lead the three-match Ind Eng series 1-0 after Edgbaston.
Why did England choose to bowl first?
Brook won the toss at Sophia Gardens and invited India to bat, looking for a way back into the series after Tuesday’s setback. According to ESPNcricinfo, England were also reacting to Cardiff’s short, straight boundaries by packing the attack with extra pace.
Gill confirmed India would have bowled too. The visitors arrive buoyed by what Gill called a “near-perfect game” last time out, and he said he was “doing well and very happy” after recovering from the cramp that forced him to retire hurt on 80 at Edgbaston.
Why is Ishan Kishan playing instead of KL Rahul?
India made one forced change to a winning combination. KL Rahul is unwell and misses the Cardiff ODI, so Ishan Kishan returns and takes the wicketkeeping gloves.
The rest of India’s batting core remains intact, with Rohit Sharma, Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer listed in the top order. Kishan’s inclusion keeps a specialist keeper in the XI while India chase a series-clinching win.
What changes did England make for this Ind Eng ODI?
Brook confirmed two changes. Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson come in for Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson. Dawson had helped rescue England with his maiden ODI fifty in the first game, but the hosts preferred more seam options on this ground.
England’s XI includes Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Brook, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Atkinson, Mahmood and Adil Rashid. India’s side features Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Iyer, Axar Patel, Kishan, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Jasprit Bumrah, Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna.
Yahoo Sports lists the Cardiff start at 1:00 p.m. local time (5:30 p.m. IST), with Sky Sports Cricket covering the match in the UK. A win here keeps England alive in the Ind Eng series before the final ODI.