Speculation about Rohit’s future has dominated the game. However, the BCCI has made it clear that Lord’s ODI will not be the last of the opening international matches.
However, Rohit will be eager to stop his opponents after struggling in the first two games of the series.
Rohit looks to regain his touch
At his best, Rohit is known for his effortless shot and pace and his ability to dominate the spin. But the 39-year-old looks far from himself, which has sparked fresh debate over whether he can continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
The two-part stand in Cardiff didn’t help him as he played nine consecutive balls before getting out.
A good wicket to bat at the “Home of Cricket” could give Rohit a good chance to make a trademark.
As a former Indian captain, Rohit has often dominated by batting in power plays. His biggest challenge on Sunday will be handling the pace and leap of Jofra Archer in the opening game.
Gill, Kohli key to India’s batting
Current captain Shubman Gill has looked good with the bat and will be hoping to turn his debut into a big hundred after losing his wicket in Cardiff.
Despite Rohit’s struggles, Virat Kohli continues to dominate the ODI format. He looked like a century in the second ODI before falling to Archer, which led to a middle-order collapse that proved costly for India.
India will hope to avoid repeating those mistakes in the series selection process.
KL Rahul’s availability is also the talk of the town after Ishan Kishan replaced him in the previous match due to illness. Kishan, like several other Indian batsmen, found it difficult against England’s short bowling methods.
Shreyas Iyer has been one of India’s best performers in the middle, especially with his bold batting against leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Groups
England: Harry Brook (captain), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, James Coles, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Gursh Dube, Gursh Yadav, Gursh Yadav