3rd ODI: Jadeja and Shami Rested as England Choose to Bowl First; Varun Out with Calf Injury

Synopsis

In the third ODI at Narendra Modi Stadium, England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to field first. India made significant changes with Jadeja and Shami rested for the Champions Trophy, and Varun Chakravarthy sidelined due to a sore calf. England also had to adjust their lineup due to injury concerns.

Key Takeaways

Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to field first.
Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami are rested.
Varun Chakravarthy is out due to a calf injury.
Changes in the playing XI for both teams.
Indian batters have been exceptional in the series.

Ahmedabad, Feb 12 (NationPress) The captain of England, Jos Buttler, has won the toss and decided to field first in the third and concluding ODI of the series taking place at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.

India has made several alterations to their starting lineup, with both Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami being rested in preparation for the 2025 Champions Trophy. Varun Chakravarthy is also absent from the starting XI due to a sore calf, leading to the inclusion of Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar.

The BCCI update stated, "Varun Chakaravarthy was unavailable for selection for the 3rd ODI due to a sore right calf."

On the other side, England had to make a modification, as Jacob Bethell will miss the Champions Trophy after suffering a left hamstring injury during the second ODI.

Tom Banton has been brought into the squad to replace Bethell and will take Jamie Overton's spot in the playing XI.

Captain Jos Buttler remarked, "We have batted first in the first two games, so it will be a new experience today ahead of the Champions Trophy. The wicket looks decent; we played against New Zealand in the World Cup here, and it was a black soil pitch that performed better in the second half. We have one change - Tom Banton is coming in for Jamie Overton in the lineup."

Meanwhile, Indian captain Rohit Sharma expressed, "I wanted to bat first and set a target since we bowled first in the last two matches. Securing a win in the last game was crucial. Our fielders have performed well in the previous two games, showcasing a lot of young talent. We aim to maintain our strong fielding performance.

"They (Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy) are relatively new in their careers, so we want to alleviate the pressure and allow them to showcase their potential. We've made some adjustments - Jadeja and Shami are being rested, and unfortunately, Varun has a sore calf. Hence, Washi, Kuldeep, and Arshdeep are stepping into the side.

Thus far, the Indian batters have significantly outperformed their opponents, with Shubman Gill, Rohit, and Shreyas Iyer ranking as the top three run-scorers in the series.

Gill followed up his impressive 87-run match-winning performance in the first ODI with a stylish 60 in the second game. India will depend on their openers to gain momentum heading into the 2025 Champions Trophy, particularly as captain Rohit marks his return to form with a score of 119 in the second match.

On the England side, opener Ben Duckett has been their most effective batter so far, although he has struggled to convert good starts into substantial scores. The 30-year-old left-handed batsman also stirred some controversy by claiming he is unconcerned about being swept in the ODI series, stating, 'as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy' leading up to this match.

Playing XI’s

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

England: Philip Salt(w), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Tom Banton, Liam Livingstone, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood