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India leads the ODI series 1-0 against England. The second match is on February 9 at Barbati Stadium, Cuttack. Virat Kohli is expected to return. The pitch favors spinners.
India lead 1-0 over England. (Sportzpics Photo)
The second ODI between India and England will be played on Sunday, February 9. The Barbati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha, will host the awaited fifty-over clash.
The Men in Blue currently lead the series 1-0 after a comfortable victory in Nagpur. The Rohit Sharma-led side will be eager to continue their momentum with a second consecutive victory.
The visitors, on the other hand, will look to level the series 1-1 by winning the upcoming tie.
England’s batting line-up had no answers for India’s bowling attack in Nagpur. A debuting Harshit Rana combined with veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for six wickets, curbing England to 248 runs.
In the second innings, Shubman Gill led India’s chase with an 87-run knock. Another couple of half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel helped the hosts sail past the finish line with ease.
Virat Kohli was absent from the previous fixture due to a sore knee. He is expected to return to white-ball cricket in the second ODI.
Joe Root failed to deliver for England in the series opener, despite racking up solid numbers in Test cricket last year. England skipper Jos Buttler put up a captain’s knock and scored a half-century with Jacob Bethell also chipping in with a fifty.
They will be looking to step up once again for the visitors to keep the series alive.
Cuttack Weather Forecast:
The skies in Cuttack will be partly cloudy and hazy this weekend, February 9. The chances of precipitation remain low at 7 percent.
The temperatures in Cuttack will hover around 31 degrees Celsius during the day and 18 degrees Celsius at night. The humidity levels should not exceed 86 percent. Wind speeds will range between 5 km/h to 8 km/h.
Barbati Stadium Pitch Report:
The Barbati Stadium’s pitch is typically more favorable to spinners. It also offers some variable bounce which helps pacers, especially when the ball gets older after the first few spells.
The high humidity and dew factor, however, will likely keep the bowlers a bit worried. In recent times, the pitch has favored batters with multiple high-scoring affairs in white-ball cricket. The team that wins the toss in Cuttack should ideally choose to field first.
