England captain Jos Buttler acknowledged Rohit Sharma’s remarkable century in Cuttack, recognizing the Indian skipper’s mastery in ODI cricket. As India gears up for another ICC 50-over event, Rohit’s return to form has come at the perfect time. Ravindra Jadeja emphasized the significance of Rohit’s knock for the team, while Buttler viewed it as a benchmark for England’s own approach.

“Rohit demonstrated how modern 50-over cricket should be played—dynamic and aggressive. His strike rate reaffirms our belief that this is the right way to approach ODIs,” Buttler stated.

England’s Middle-Order Woes Persist

Despite their attacking intent, England has struggled to sustain momentum in the middle overs (11-40), where India’s spin attack has kept them in check. Their returns in this phase saw slight improvement from Nagpur to Cuttack (129/4 to 155/4), but it remains a concern. In Cuttack, England managed just 121 runs in 26 overs against spin at a modest scoring rate of 4.65. With another challenging surface expected in Ahmedabad, their top-seven batters must find answers to India’s spin threat.

India in Control Ahead of Champions Trophy

India appears to be a more settled unit going into the series decider. The top-order has been among the runs, and if Virat Kohli can emulate Rohit’s heroics, it would further bolster their confidence. Bowling-wise, the team has taken shape well despite Jasprit Bumrah being ruled out of the Champions Trophy. The return of Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Shami has been crucial, while Ravindra Jadeja has seamlessly adjusted to the 50-over format.

Match Details

• Date & Time: February 12, 2024, 2:30 PM IST
• Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
• Pitch Report: The venue has the lowest first-innings average score (240) in the series. Large square boundaries will challenge batters, while dew could influence the toss decision. Spinners have thrived in the first innings here, while pacers extract more swing under lights.
• England won the toss and opt to Bowal First

Team News & XIs

India

With Jasprit Bumrah out of the Champions Trophy, Harshit Rana might continue to feature, or Arshdeep Singh could get a chance. Rishabh Pant could also be included after sitting out the first two ODIs.

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

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

Rohit Sharma: I wanted to bat first and put runs on the board because we bowled first in the last two games. It was important for us to get a win in the last game. The fielders portrayed themselves well in the last two games, a lot of young blood. We want to continue to do well in the field. (On Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy) They are pretty new in their careers so we want to keep the pressure away from them, let them do their own and they have got a lot of potential. We have made some changes – Jadeja and Shami have been rested, unfortunately Varun has a sore calf. So, Washi, Kuldeep and Arshdeep come into the side.

Jos Buttler: We are gonna bowl first today. (On whether the expected dew has influenced his decision to bowl first) Little bit maybe, it may spin a bit later. We have batted first in the first two games so it will be a different experience today ahead of the Champions Trophy. It’s a decent wicket, we played New Zealand in the World Cup a few years ago, it was a black soil pitch and it played better in the second half. We have one change – Tom Banton comes in for Jamie Overton into the side.

Key Stats & Insights

• Arshdeep Singh has taken 12 wickets in 5 ODIs since the 2023 World Cup, making him India’s leading wicket-taker in this period.
• Liam Livingstone has a strike rate of 190.16 in the death overs (41-50) in ODIs in 2024.
• Rohit Sharma averages 50.57 in Ahmedabad, scoring 354 runs in 7 innings.
• Joe Root now holds the record for most 50+ scores (56) in ODIs for England, surpassing Eoin Morgan.

What They Said

Ravindra Jadeja on Rohit’s century:
“Before an important tournament like the Champions Trophy, scoring a hundred is a huge boost. It’s great for the team.”

Jos Buttler on England’s batting:
“We’re moving in the right direction, but we haven’t yet delivered the complete performance. Some players are gaining experience, and matches like these provide crucial lessons.”

With the series on the line, England must overcome their spin struggles, while India will aim for a strong finish before the Champions Trophy. Can Rohit Sharma and Co. continue their dominance, or will Buttler’s men find their rhythm in