3 player battles to watch out for in India vs England match of 2023 World Cup ft. Virat Kohli vs Adil Rashid
After a week's gap, India will be back in action in the 2023 World Cup on Sunday, October 29, as they take on England at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. Both teams have had contrasting fortunes in the tournament so far, making this an interesting encounter.
The Men in Blue beat their nemesis New Zealand after 20 years in ICC events and are the only unbeaten team in the tournament with five wins. They have a chance to go top of the table again if they beat England. Jos Buttler and Co., on the other hand, have had a disastrous World Cup so far. With just one win from five games, they find themselves rock bottom of the points table.
As it is mathematically still possible for England to make it to the semifinals, they might come out all guns blazing against the hosts with a feeling of nothing to lose. They did beat India four years ago when the two teams met in Birmingham and the Men in Blue will know that it's certainly not going to be a straightforward game despite England's position in the points table.
On that note, let's take a look at the three intriguing match-ups that could spice up the match:
#3 Jonny Bairstow vs Kuldeep Yadav
England opener Jonny Bairstow has had fond memories of facing Kuldeep Yadav in the past as he has smashed the Indian left-arm wist-spinner to all parts of the ground. Be it the 2019 World Cup game at Edgbaston or the ODI between the two teams in Pune back in 2021, Bairstow found a way to dominate Kuldeep.
However, this is a new and improved version of Kuldeep that the world has been witnessing and he would certainly relish the opportunity to continue his battle with Bairstow. Although he has scored 103 runs off just 77 balls against Kuldeep in ODIs, Bairstow has also been dismissed twice.
#2 Jos Buttler vs Ravindra Jadeja
The balance that Ravindra Jadeja gives Team India becomes even more crucial in the potential absence of Hardik Pandya. The Men in Blue will once again bank on him to produce some tight overs and also keep chipping away with wickets.
Jos Buttler has had a horrible World Cup with the bat so far, accumulating just 95 runs in five innings. He has scored 104 runs off 110 balls against Jadeja in ODIs but has also been dismissed thrice. It will be interesting to see how he tackles the left-arm spinner with England's back to the wall.
#1 Virat Kohli vs Adil Rashid
The blockbuster match-up of the game could end up being Virat Kohli vs Adil Rashid because of the duo's well-documented history with each other. Kohli has rated Rashid highly and has been quite vocal about the impact the leg-spinner can have.
In ODI cricket, Kohli has scored 108 runs off 116 deliveries that he has faced from Rashid. However, the leg-spinner has also dismissed the veteran Indian batter thrice. Given the rich vein of form that Virat is in, Rashid might have to produce something special to get through his defense on Sunday.