England's 3 highest wicket-takers vs India in ODI World Cups
The defending champions, England, are having a horrendous time in the 2023 World Cup. The Englishmen have won just one out of their five games in the 2023 World Cup, and it will be a miracle from here if they have to qualify for the semi-finals of this World Cup.
England's next assignment will be against Rohit Sharma's Indian team. The Men in Blue have won all five matches they have played in the ongoing tournament and will look to come out all guns blazing against a struggling English team.
As far as World Cups are concerned, both teams have competed against each other on eight occasions, and England holds a slight advantage, winning four, losing three, and ending one encounter in a tie.
On that note, here is a look at England's top three wicket-takers vs India in ODI World Cups:
#1 Tim Bresnan - 5 wickets
The bowling all-rounder is the highest wicket-taker for England against India in World Cup cricket. He picked up five wickets against India in the 2011 World Cup at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
He provided the initial breakthrough for his team by picking up the dangerous-looking Virender Sehwag. Thereafter, he was lethal in the death overs and picked up four more crucial wickets of MS Dhoni, Yusuf Pathan, Virat Kohli, and Harbhajan Singh, and India were bowled out for 338 with a ball to spare.
Riding on Andrew Strauss's innings of 158, England managed to tie the game. Bresnan scored a handy 14 from nine balls with the bat.
Bresnan's five-wicket haul is, to date, England's only five-wicket haul against India in ODI World Cup cricket.
#2 Edward Hemmings - 4 wickets
The former English off-spinner picked up four wickets against India in the semi-finals of the 1987 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Chasing a target of 255, India were cruising at one stage, having scored 168 runs for the loss of four wickets. Hemmings thereafter had the Indian batsmen in his spinning web and picked up four wickets.
His victims included Kapil Dev, Mohammad Azharuddin, Chetan Sharma, and Ravi Shastri. Hemming was the unsung hero for England in the said semi-finals and, to date, remains the second-highest wicket-taker for England against India in ODI World Cups.
#3 Andrew Flintoff - 3
As many as six English players have taken three wickets apiece against India. The list comprises Sir Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, Liam Plunkett, Andrew Caddick, Dermot Reeve, and Neil Foster.
Flintoff has the lowest economy rate (2.86) among the remaining bowlers and hence makes it to this list. The former English skipper picked up three wickets against India across two editions, i.e., 1999 and 2003.
In the 1999 edition, he bowled five overs, conceding 28 runs and picking up the solitary wicket of Rahul Dravid.
He was at his lethal best in the 2003 World Cup against India, picking up two wickets in 10 overs and conceding only 15 runs. His victims included Virender Sehwag and the in-form Sachin Tendulkar.