Unbeaten India look to capitalise on England's nightmare form in ICC World Cup 2023 clash

India, currently leading the table, aim to capitalise on England's disastrous show in the ICC World Cup 2023 as they meet the defending champions in their sixth group-stage game of the ongoing tournament in Lucknow on October 29, 2023.

What

• India, in great form, face defending champions England at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Sunday (October 29).

• India seek to maintain their winning streak, while England look to bounce back after three straight losses, though their semi-final hopes seem almost over.

• India recently defeated New Zealand, while England, led by Jos Buttler, suffered their fourth loss in the World Cup, scoring just 156 runs before Sri Lanka's eight-wicket victory.

Head-to-head stats

• India and England share a rich history in ICC ODI World Cup tournaments, featuring 8 memorable clashes that cricket enthusiasts won't forget.
• England have triumphed 4 times, while India have celebrated victory on 3 occasions, with one match concluding in an electrifying tie.

• In these matches, England's highest total was an impressive 338 runs, demonstrating their batting strength.
• India, in turn, equaled this formidable score at 338 runs, underlining the intense rivalry between these cricketing powerhouses. The lowest score recorded by India was 132 runs, while England's lowest was 168 runs.

Selection dilemma for India

• Hardik Pandya, the Indian all-rounder, will sit out the World Cup matches against England on October 29 and Sri Lanka on November 2 as he is still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered on October 19 during the game against Bangladesh.

• India’s last match against New Zealand saw two changes in the Indian eleven with Suryakumar Yadav filling in for Pandya and Mohammed Shami replacing Shardul Thakur.

• Suryakumar Yadav's opportunity was cut short when he was run out for just one run. Meanwhile, Shami capitalized on his chance, delivering a brilliant performance that earned him the player of the match award.

• This has presented a challenge for the selectors. They must decide whether to try a different batter instead of Yadav while retaining Shami's excellent form, possibly by omitting Shardul Thakur and his all-round capabilities.

Clashes to look out for

Malan vs Bumrah

• At present, Dawid Malan stands out as one of the few England batters who have shown a significantly stronger performance with the bat, including a century against Bangladesh in the 2023 World Cup.

• India’s aim will be to dismiss Malan swiftly, and their most reliable option is star bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who has already claimed eleven tournament wickets.

Kohli vs Rashid

• Virat Kohli has been in formidable form this World Cup and England will be hoping with all that their clash against India goes without Kohli getting his game going.

• England is counting on spinner Adil Rashid's skill to exploit Kohli's vulnerability to spin. Rashid, a dependable bowler, has already claimed six wickets in the tournament.

Woakes vs Rohit

• The English bowling squad, including pacer Chris Woakes, has been struggling. This narrows England's choices for disrupting the formidable opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill.

• Indian captain Rohit Sharma aims to exploit England's bowling vulnerabilities and establish a strong batting base for India, particularly if Woakes and other bowlers can't deliver an unexpected setback to India.

Probable XIs

Here are our predictions for the playing squads that both India and England will go with on October 29.

India XI

1. Rohit Sharma (c)
2. Shubhman Gill 
3. Virat Kohli
4. KL Rahul (wk)
5. Shreyas Iyer
6. Suryakumar Yadav
7. Ravindra Jadeja
8. Jasprit Bumrah
9. Mohammed Shami
10. Kuldeep Yadav
11. Mohammed Siraj 

England XI

1. Jonny Bairstow
2. Dawid Malan
3. Joe Root
4. Ben Stokes
5. Jos Buttler(w/c)
6. Gus Atkinson
7. Adil Rashid,
8. Chris Woakes
9. Mark Wood
10. Moeen Ali
11. Sam Curran

You can watch the match on Star Sports Network channels or stream it LIVE via the Disney+Hotstar app and website. Match starts at Sunday 2pm.