After an intense contest between the two nations in the T20I format, India and England are set to face each othe??r ??for a 3-match One-day International (ODI) series with the first ODI currently underway at Nagpur. The next stop of the series is set to be in Cuttack and the last ODI will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

As the preparations for the crucial series begins, an important decision whic??h the Indian team has to take will be regarding the playing combination and the number of batters the team is ready to accommodate. In the midst of a tough call for the team, a valuable advice has popped up from the former batting coach of the Indian team which has emerged as a major talking point in the cricketing community.

Sanjay Bangar picks between KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant

Amidst a difficult choice of choosing the top-choice as the team’s wicket-keeper against England in the ODI series, Sanjay Bangar, the former batting coach of the Indian cricket team, has open??ed up on his choice as the team’s wicket-keeper during the limited overs challenge against England. According to Bangar, owing to the experience and the dynamics he brings in limited overs format, KL Rahul is the perfect choice for India as a wicket-keeper batter for the ODI series.

“If you cast your mind back to the way KL Rahul has performed not only as a batsman but also as a wicketkeeper. Some of the catches and the way he kept in the (2023) World Cup was simply fabulous. Rishabh Pant, no doubt, is a very, very exciting talent. But currently, I believe that the team would start with KL in the lineup based on the performances that he’s given in the middle overs as well as his exploits as a wicketkeeper,” Bangar said during a discussion on Star Sports.

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The ongoing dilemma for India’s ODI squad

Evidently, the struggle of having to pick one between Rahul and Pant has become persistent in the Indian team with both players showcasing impeccable skills both as batters and behind the stumps as well. Rahul has featured in 77 ODIs for the team  while Pant has been in the Indian squad for 31 ODI matches in his career so f?ar. The two players have also played simultaneously in the post, but Bangar is opposed to such an arrangement b??etween the two players.

“I don’t think both can play in the single line-up. Generally because of the makeup of the team is right-hand dominant, at least in the top six, and we’ve seen in the past how Jadeja has been used in the batting at four or five according to the needs and situation of the game. So, they have that luxury of Jadeja at number seven who can obviously fit in and do the role of a left-hander through the middle overs if the situations arise wherein teams rely on left-arm spinners or leg-spinners. So, yes, there is an option in Jadeja and because of that I think Rishabh Pant may still find it difficult to straightaway break in the playing eleven,” Bangar concluded.

The ODI series against England is India’s last stop before featuring in the Champions trophy 2025. India will begin its campaign to win the coveted tournament on February 20 against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. Following which, the Indian side will play against arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 before playing their final group-stage match against New Zealand on March 2.

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No matter which side you are on, a lethal spin ball is equally appreciated by the cricketing world as a stunning swing delivery or a towering six. Adil Rashid’s stunner against Tilak Varma in Rajkot was one such delivery which took fans and analysts in shock. Amidst praises from everyone, the masterpiece is now appreciated by none other than Ravichandran Ashwin– the spin wizard.

Ravichandran Ashwin amazed by Adil Rashid’s beauty

Rashid bowled the sensational delivery on the last ball of the 8th over during India’s run chase of 172 runs. India’s prom??ising young batter Tilak, was on the crease and appeared ready to play the big shot after steadily to an individual score of 18 runs off 13 balls.

However, the 22-year-old could not lead India to another epic run chase as an outside off bowl took a breathtaking turn and cleared the middle-leg stump o??f the explosive Indian batter thus marking an end to his consecutive unbeatable run in previous 4 T20I matches. The dismissal proved detrimental to India’s hope of achieving the target.

The empathic delivery was later on praised by Ashwin who called it an ‘absolute seed’ and further appreciated the scrambled seam and si??de spin approach from the English spinner. This was Rashid’s only dismissal of the match and came at a crucial time for his team as the run flow took a further hit with Tilak’s absence on the pitch.

Also Read: Twitter reactions: England outsmar?t India i??n 3rd T20I to keep the series alive

Here’s the post

Absolute seed🔥🔥.
Scrambled seam and serious side spin.
Top bowling Adil Rashid🤝🤝#INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/9omCsdmaxU

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 28, 2025

India stopped by a determined bowling effort from England

Scoring runs was getting difficult for the Indian team in Rajkot as a disciplined bowling display from England groped the Indian batters and led them to commit mistakes on the pitch. No Indian batter could withstand the fine line and length bowled by English bowlers. Apart from Hardik Pandya who scored 40 runs off 35 balls, the entire Indian batting order su?ccumbed and gave their wickets away cheaply. India’s run chase was wrapped up at 145/9 runs in 20 overs leading the way for an England victory by 26 runs in the match.

Jamie Overton was the star of the match for England with the bowl as he took 3 wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs. Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse supported Overton ??and took 2 wickets respectively to pave the? way for an England win in the match.

Also Read: Indian batting coa??????????????????????????ch defends Suryakumar Yadav despite his struggles in ongoing T20I series against England

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