England and India are gearing up for an exciting three-match One Day International (ODI) series, commencing on Thursday, 8 February. England's pace attack will feature four bowlers, and their batting line-up will remain largely unchanged from the T20 series. Phil Salt and Ben Duckett are set to open for England, with Joe Root occupying the critical number three spot.
Jamie Smith is likely to miss the first two matches of the series due to a calf injury, impacting England's line-up. However, the team will rely on middle-order batsmen Jos Buttler, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell to maintain stability. Rehan Ahmed has been added to England's squad, further bolstering their options.
On the Indian side, the squad sees the return of captain Rohit Sharma, star batter Virat Kohli, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Notably, Abhishek Sharma, who impressed with a century in the fifth T20 match, has not been included in the ODI squad. India's bowling attack gains strength with the addition of Varun Chakravarthy.
The series opener on 8 February sets the stage for an intense cricketing showdown between two formidable teams. The second ODI match is scheduled for Sunday, followed by the final match on Wednesday, 12 February. This concluding encounter also marks England's last match before the Champions Trophy, with squads for the tournament set to be named on the same day.
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