ind vs eng 29th match icc cricket world cup

It was supposed to be the marquee clash of the tournament between two of the pre-tournament favourites. It's a wonder where we stand as India prepare to take on England, in a clash that could end even the glimmer of hope the defending champions hold.

England themselves have repeatedly said the mathematical equation gives them little hope as their head coach Matthew Mott, captain Jos Buttler and assistant coach Marcus Trescothick echo each other's thoughts. Already resigned to their fate, the conflict now faded somewhat.

Still, what it can offer both teams now is a look at individual gameplans and overall strategy, despite not technically being a dead rubber. Without Hardik Pandya, India will rest easy now that they have won five matches, but will be wary of recapturing that form after the five-day break between games.

The next leg of the game comes thick and fast for them with one eye already on a possible semi-final clash at the top of the pecking order. For what it's worth, there's a chance India won't finish in the top four despite their run so far, and even a win tomorrow doesn't guarantee them. All it will do is put them in good stead and send a stronger message across the board about their form and help create an air of invincibility on home turf.

Given that they have been chasing throughout the tournament, this may give them an opportunity to try another route if the opportunity arises and if conditions are favourable.

When: Sunday, October 28 at 1400 local time

Where: BRSABVE Stadium, Lucknow

What to expect: Hot weather, and in all likelihood a dry pitch. It should be the same as watching Australia play South Africa. As the ground is a mixture of black and red, there is expected to be a lot for the spinners to work with. A day before the game, it underwent a lot of work under the supervision of Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitch supervisor. Systematic rolling is done first with light rollers and then with heavy rollers to give some water first. How it will play out is anyone's guess, but there were some sharp eyes from the England camp while it got going, and as always could determine what combinations the teams have on the field.

Team News

India

Will they bring Ashwin back into the game as England have few left-handers and can favor spin? This could be another big question on their minds when it comes to picking a pacer. With Mohammed Shami five-for, it might be tempting to stick with him instead of Mohammed Siraj, who has been in lukewarm form at the World Cup after rocking the format in his earlier days. This can be a tough call to make either way.

Strategy and tactics

Jos Buttler has been bowled five times in the 2023 World Cup and the same number of times to Mohammed Shami. If he plays, India will probably waste no time in this match-up test for a number of reasons.

Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin/Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami

England

Despite losing their previous game, England may be tempted to stick with an XI that largely resembles the same combination. If the track offers some grip, Sam Curran might be tempted to bring it back. Harry Brook will also be breathing down Liam Livingstone's neck despite the latter's bowling offers.

Strategy and tactics

Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali have dismissed Virat Kohli thrice so far. In this tournament, Kohli is yet to be dismissed by a spinner but he will not stop England from releasing spinners when given the chance.

Probable XI: David Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone/Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

do you know

- In 1992 Australia are the only defending champions to have lost four (or more) matches in an edition of the World Cup.

- Root has come to bat in the Powerplay four times in this World Cup and has not survived the phase three times.

- India are the fastest scoring team in 1-10 overs (6.52) and only Afghanistan (66.25) average higher than India's 65.20 in this phase.

what did they say

"I don't know. I don't know if free hits really make a difference. I think I thought we were going to do what we needed to do going into the last game. And then we didn't show that. The quality of the performance that we needed. So, it's really Challenging because you want to come to the World Cup, you want to play for every game, you want to go out and perform when it's really meaningful. And you want to see World Cup rugby, playing third and fourth place playoffs is definitely going to be challenging. But we're on their own. Got an opportunity against a big team in the country where the atmosphere is going to be electric. So, if you're not excited and up for a game like that, then great. You know, it's an opportunity to do that" - Marcus Trescothick, England assistant coach, England Don't think you can play with more freedom now.