England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field first in the third and final ODI of the series at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday.
India's Squad Changes Ahead of Champions Trophy
India has made multiple changes to their playing XI, with Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami being rested ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy. Additionally, Varun Chakravarthy was ruled out due to a sore right calf, paving the way for Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Washington Sundar to come into the squad.
"Varun Chakravarthy was unavailable for selection for the 3rd ODI due to a sore right calf," the BCCI stated in an official update.
England's Forced Change
England was forced into a squad alteration after Jacob Bethell sustained a left hamstring injury in the second ODI, ruling him out of the Champions Trophy. Tom Banton has been added to the squad as Bethell’s replacement and will replace Jamie Overton in the playing XI.
"We have batted first in the first two games, so it will be a different experience today ahead of the Champions Trophy. It's a decent wicket; we played New Zealand in the World Cup a few years ago on a black soil pitch, and it played better in the second half. We have one change - Tom Banton comes in for Jamie Overton," said England captain Jos Buttler.
Rohit Sharma’s Take on the Toss
India skipper Rohit Sharma expressed his preference for batting first, emphasizing the importance of posting a strong total.
"I wanted to bat first and put runs on the board because we bowled first in the last two games. It was important for us to get a win in the last game. The fielders have done well, and a lot of young blood is coming in. We want to continue doing well in the field," Rohit stated.
Regarding Harshit Rana and Varun Chakravarthy, he added:
"They are pretty new in their careers, so we want to keep the pressure off them and let them play freely. They have a lot of potential. We have made some changes—Jadeja and Shami have been rested, and unfortunately, Varun has a sore calf. So, Washi, Kuldeep, and Arshdeep come into the side."
India’s Batting Dominance
India’s batting lineup has outperformed England in the series, with Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, and Shreyas Iyer occupying the top three spots for most runs scored.
Gill followed his 87-run match-winning knock in the first ODI with an elegant 60 in the second game. Skipper Rohit Sharma also found form, scoring a crucial 119 in the second ODI, boosting India’s confidence ahead of the Champions Trophy.
England’s Batting Struggles
England opener Ben Duckett has been their most consistent batter but has failed to convert starts into big scores. Ahead of the match, Duckett sparked controversy by stating:
"I don't care about being swept in the ODI series as long as we beat them in the final of the Champions Trophy."
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh.
England: Philip Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c), Tom Banton, Liam Livingstone, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood.
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