India vs England: All eyes on Virat Kohli's fitness ahead of 2nd ODI

Updated : Jul 14, 2022 17:06
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Editorji News Desk

While India will aim to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3-match series on Thursday, the inclusion of senior batter Virat Kohli is still the talk of the town.

Kohli missed the first ODI against England due to a groin injury and there is still no update on his fitness ahead of the second match at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.

With Jasprit Bumrah gunning the hosts down for their lowest-ever score against India, the Men In Blue never really missed the services of Kohli in the opening game of the series.

Also read: South Africa may miss out on directly qualifying for the ODI World Cup, withdraw from Australia series

And it won't come as a surprise if the 33-year-old batter misses the second ODI as well, given there is only a day’s break between the two matches.

Also, the unavailability of Kohli is also an opportunity for others to showcase their mettle. One of them is Shreyas Iyer and he’ll be hoping he can put his short-ball demons behind at Lord’s. He was slotted to bat at number 3 in the previous game but didn't get the chance as India chased the target down without any hiccups.

But come Thursday, the focus will be on Shreyas and how he counters England’s short-ball ploy. With his predictable trigger movement, the bowlers around the world have found Iyer out with short-pitched stuff in recent times.

Meanwhile, the Three Lions on the other hand will be eyeing a strong comeback to stay alive in the series. They will also need a rethink of the strategy of going hard from ball one since it left a lot to desire in seaming conditions.

Another exciting affair awaits us all!

Virat KohliShreyas Iyerindia vs england

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