2 changes India should make in the Playing XI to win the ODI series
England kept the ODI series alive by defeating India in the second ODI by 86 runs. India couldn't keep the winning momentum and have put themselves in a must-win position in order to win the series. The English batsmen counter-attacked Kuldeep Yadav brilliantly by scoring 68 runs off his 10 overs. They also scored heavily in the last five overs helping England reach a competitive total of 322 runs. On the batting front, India's over-dependence on the top three was exposed again.
Most of the Indian batsmen got starts, but none of them were able to convert them to big ones, and eventually fell short of the target by 86 runs. With the series on the line, the Indian team might want to make a couple of changes in the playing XI. We will look at 2 such changes that India should make to win the all-important third ODI against England.
#2 Dinesh Karthik in place of KL Rahul
It might be unfair on KL Rahul to drop him after just one poor game, but that might be the way forward for the last ODI. Rahul was dismissed on a duck by Liam Plunkett in the second ODI. While in the T20s Rahul played at number 3, he has been pushed down at number 4 in the ODIs, a position at which he wasn't very successful.
On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik has been in the form of his life. After his heroics in the final of the Nidahas trophy, Karthik has grown in confidence and has been extremely consistent. He plays spin well and can rotate the strike in the middle overs. Karthik has also enhanced his reputation as a finisher and can be a valuable addition to the side.
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar in place of Siddharth Kaul
One thing that India missed in the second ODI was the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has been out of the side because of injury and missed the third T20 and the first two ODIs. Indian bowlers leaked too many runs in the powerplay as well as in the death overs and paid a heavy price for it as England scored a huge total. Bhuvneshwar, who is known for his tight lines with the new ball and subtle variations in the death overs, can solve India's bowling woes. If fit, Bhuvneshwar can replace Siddharth Kaul in the playing XI. Even though Kaul has bowled well in patches, he has been wicketless in the series and might make way for Bhuvneshwar.