With five straight victories in the tournament thus far, Team India leads the points table and is having a great run in the current ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The injury to all-rounder Hardik Pandya is the only thing that could be concerning about India’s otherwise perfect performance. In India’s fourth match against Bangladesh, the 30-year-old hurt his ankle trying to stop a boundary, and as a result, he will miss a few games.
India’s playing lineup has been severely disrupted by Hardik Pandya absence, as two players have been recruited to compensate for the Gujarat-born cricketer’s all-around skills.
Because of this, the Men in Blue have five bowling choices rather than six, which leaves them quite exposed when it comes to using the ball.
Ahead of their next match against England on Sunday, October 29, numerous Indian players were observed rolling their arms over during their practise session in Lucknow, attempting to make up for Pandya’s absence. Virat Kohli was the first person to bowl Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma with his part-time seam, according to a story in HundustanTimes.
Both Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill, who have yet to make a bowling appearance in their limited ODI history, were observed honing their off-break techniques later in the session. Indian captain Rohit Sharma has stated prior to the competition that fans might witness him and captain Virat Kohli bowling in the major event. Notably, Hardik Pandya was removed from the field following his injury against Bangladesh, while Kohli went on to finish his over.
India and England will make amends
When India plays the reigning champions England in Lucknow, they will be hoping to extend their winning streak. Having lost four of their first five games, the Jos Buttler-led team has had an awful campaign thus far and is virtually eliminated from the competition. India will attempt to repay the Three Lions for eliminating them from the T20 World Cup 2022 in the semi-final with a humiliating ten-wicket loss.