Published: Jan 12, 2017, 08:00 AM (IST)
Edited: Jan 12, 2017, 05:18 PM (IST)
Hello and welcome to CricketCountry’s coverage of the second warm-up match between India A and England at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. Ajinkya Rahane will take over the captaincy from MS Dhoni for this match. Dhoni’s India A lost the first warm-up match by 3 wickets despite putting up 304 on the board. Dhoni scored an unbeaten 40-ball 68, while Yuvraj Singh too struck a valuable 56. However, it was Shikhar Dhawan with 63, who had initially provided a good start for his side. Ambati Rayudu top-scored with 100 not out. Rahane has a few talented players in his side, all of whom have not featured in the first game. Among the players in the squad for this warm-up match, he is the only one selected for the One-Day International (ODI) series against England.
India A however have the likes of Suresh Raina and Rishabh Pant, who have been picked for the T20 International (T20I) series against England. This will also be a good opportunity to test out England’s bench strength. England had decided to rest Ben Stokes, Liam Plunkett and Jonny Bairstow for the first warm-up match. They are more or less assured to get a spot in the playing XI for this match. Joe Root will join the squad ahead of the first ODI and is expected to join the team tomorrow. He extended his vacation in order to welcome his first born.
India A vs England, 2nd one-day warm-up match: Preview
Rahane himself has not been in the best of forms with the bat. He did not have a particularly good Test series against England and scored just one fifty in the ODI series against New Zealand. India A too have quite a few quality bowlers. Their spinners include Shahbaz Nadeem and Parvez Rasool – both consistent performers in the domestic circuit. They have the experience of Pradeep Sangwan, Vinay Kumar and Ashok Dinda in their fast bowling department. The likes of Vijay Shankar or even Raina can be a useful part-time option for the skipper.
England had an excellent 2016. They have pulled things together since their group stage exit at the ICC World Cup 2015, which included an embarrassing loss at the hands of Bangladesh. Eoin Morgan has led the team well and will want to head into the ODI series with the right momentum. The ODI series begins on January 15 at Pune.
Squads:
India A: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Suresh Raina, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Kishan (wk), Sheldon Jackson (wk), Vijay Shankar, Shahbaz Nadeem, Parvez Rasool, Vinay Kumar, Pradeep Sangwan, Ashoke Dinda.
England: Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes.
