[Watch] Team India receives traditional welcome in Lucknow with strings of pearls ahead of England clash in 2023 World Cup
Team India arrived in Lucknow for their 2023 World Cup clash against England at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, October 25.
The Men in Blue flew from Dharamsala after a two-day break following their four-wicket win over New Zealand.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video on Instagram where the players received a traditional welcome with strings of pearls. It captioned the post:
“Hello, Lucknow!”
The Men in Blue began their campaign with a six-wicket win over five-time World champions Australia. They have also defeated Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Blackcaps in the league stage to register five wins on a trot.
Rohit Sharma and Co. will now look to defeat England for the first time in the World Cup since 2003. In their last outing, England beat India by 31 runs in 2019, while the 2011 clash ended in a tie. Thus, the hosts will be keen to avenge their defeat.
England, meanwhile, began their World Cup campaign on a poor note as they lost to New Zealand by nine wickets in the opener. The Jos Butter-led side, however, bounced back with a 137-run win over Bangladesh.
The English team, though, lost the plot, suffering consecutive losses against Afghanistan and South Africa in their last two outings. They will lock horns with Sri Lanka at the MA Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 26. The side will aim to return to winning ways before the clash against India.
The two teams last faced off in the bilateral series, where India beat England by five wickets to win the series decider.
The hosts will hope that all-rounder Hardik Pandya joins the squad after missing out on the fixture against the Kiwis due to an ankle injury. If fit, Pandya is likely to replace Suryakumar Yadav, who got run out for two runs on his World Cup debut. Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami is likely to continue in the playing XI against England after a sensational fifer against the Blackcaps.
Team India are yet to bat first in the marquee ICC tournament. It remains to be seen how they perform while defending targets in dew-friendly conditions at home.
India in 2023 World Cup
October 8: beat Australia by six wickets in Chennai
October 11: beat Afghanistan by eight wickets in Delhi
October 14: beat Pakistan by seven wickets in Ahmedabad
October 19: beat Bangladesh by seven wickets in Pune
October 22: beat New Zealand by four wickets in Dharamshala
October 29: vs England at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow
November 2: vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
November 5: vs South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata
November 12: vs Netherlands at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru