Toss England chosen to bat vs India
England will bat first in the first ODI against India, with Harry Brook confident of capitalizing on a dry, flat pitch under bright conditions at Edgbaston. The decision was met with a resigned nod by India’s skipper Shubman Gill, who would have opted to bowl had the toss been won differently. Both sides aim to build momentum in this opener of a three-match series tightly scheduled over six days.
The most notable adjustment for England involves opening opportunities for Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett, with Josh Tongue making his maiden ODI appearance to complete the 15-man squad’s debut cycle. Fresh from resigning as Test captain, Brendon McCullum unveiled a strong batting lineup, signaling his intent to prioritize white-ball preparations for the 2027 World Cup. The team aims to reverse a troubling trend of five losses in seven bilateral series since 2024.
For India, the series offers a chance for redemption following a 4-0 T20I whitewash by England and a 2-0 loss to Ireland. With seasoned batters like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah back in the XI, India seeks to end a recent slump with three series losses in their last six. The Edgbaston crowd is set to witness a star-studded contest.
The fixture also commemorates Jos Buttler’s 200th ODI, honored with a cap presentation by former England captain Eoin Morgan before his family. This milestone underscores Buttler’s evolution into one of the sport’s most versatile white-ball players.
England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Jacob Bethell, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Josh Tongue, 11 Adil Rashid
India: 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Washington Sundar, 6 KL Rahul (wk), 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Gurnoor Brar, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Prasidh Krishna
