Sport

India takes on England today

— Photo: K. R. Deepak

COOL AND SAFE: M.S. Dhoni, who is seen practising on Thursday, leads a youthful team against England in the first ODI at Rajkot.

Rajkot: Four days after M. S. Dhoni’s men did the victory run at Nagpur, India takes on England in a seven-match One-Day International series.

The first ODI commences at the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium here on Friday.

The build-up has been amiable unlike the India-Australia skirmishes that preceded the Test series.

Andrew Flintoff recently said that India was ‘possibly the best team in the World’.

England skipper Kevin Pietersen lauded M.S. Dhoni and the Indian captain reciprocated with a word of thanks in Thursday’s press conference.

The lack of heat in the run-up to the match forced the media to query about the big-hits that cannoned from one rival net to the other.

Was a statement being made? Dhoni said, “Not really. Just that both teams were practising nearby.”

Pietersen said, “If a guy is practising a shot, he is practising a shot. Nothing more.”

Dhoni leads a young squad with Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan. Add to it M. Vijay.

Vijay, however, will have to wait for his ODI debut as there are no slots with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the top of the batting line-up and a middle order that is packed.

Yuvraj Singh’s poor form during the Sri Lankan tour will be a cause for worry. A century while leading the Board President’s XI against the Aussies has been his only feel-good moment.

Ishant Sharma, down with an ankle sprain, will be missed but in the experienced duo of Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, Dhoni has bowlers used to the run-belters that are dished out as pitches for limited-over cricket.

A recent history of winning the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia and a 3-2 ODI series triumph in Sri Lanka interspersed with runner-up tag from the Tri-series at Dhaka and Asia Cup at Karachi, show that the team is riding high.

Meanwhile, England banks on Pietersen’s and Flintoff’s effervescence.

The burly allrounder’s nagging spells at Mumbai that helped his side draw level at 3-3 in the 2002 ODI series and Pietersen’s prolific run in the 2006 series despite India winning 5-1 at home, are signs of hope.

Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell and Owais Shah strengthen the batting and with the accent on seam bowling as evident in Flintoff, Steve Harmison, James Anderson and Stuart Broad figuring in the team announced for Friday’s game, the visitor believes that it can hustle on dry pitches.

Left-arm spinner Samit Patel is also part of the eleven. England won 3-2 in Sri Lanka and routed South Africa 4-0 in its recent one-dayers. However, being bowled out for 98 against Mumbai in a second practice game after winning the first one is not the ideal start for a crucial phase that will culminate in a two-Test series in December.

It remains to be seen whether England, that last won a limited-over series in India in 1984-85, can stand up and deliver.

The teams (from):

India: M.S. Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, M. Vijay, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, R.P. Singh, Munaf Patel, Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha. Coach: Gary Kirsten.

England: Kevin Pietersen (captain), Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wicket-keeper), Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff, Samit Patel, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson, Alastair Cook, Graeme Swann, Tim Ambrose, Ryan Sidebottom and Luke Wright. Coach: Peter Moores.

Umpires: Simon Taufel and Suresh Shastri; Third umpire: Amish Saheba; Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Hours of play: 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.; 1.15 p.m. to close of play.

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