India's Predicted XI vs England, WC 2023: Will R Ashwin Get A Chance?

An unbeaten India face England in the 29th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on Sunday, October 29, at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, starting at 2:00 PM IST. England, after three defeats in a row, are ninth in the points table at the World Cup 2023. The reigning champions lost the tournament opener against New Zealand but bounced back to beat Bangladesh. However, the Three Lions have since lost to Afghanistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

India, meanwhile, are the only unbeaten team in the tournament with five wins in five matches. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team are second in the points table with 10 points and a healthy net run rate of 1.353.

The Indian team has chased successfully in all matches in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Their latest game saw a four-wicket victory against 2019 edition runners-up New Zealand.

While Daryl Mitchell smashed a ton for the Kiwis, Mohammed Shami scalped five wickets as some good death bowling restricted New Zealand to 273. The Indian openers - Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill - set the platform for the run chase with a 71-run stand. Virat Kohli's 104-ball 95 supported ably by cameos from KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja guided India to a win with 12 balls to spare at Dharamsala.

India, earlier, beat Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Australia in the tournament.

Ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya was injured in the victory against Bangladesh and remains sidelined for the upcoming match against England. Ravichandran Ashwin, meanwhile, is expected to feature in the playing XI as the pitch at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium is conducive to spinners.

Openers: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has amassed 311 runs in five matches in this tournament. The Hitman has slammed a fifty and a century while striking at 133.47, maximising the scoring in the powerplay. Rohit has hit 17 sixes in five matches, the most by an Indian batter in this tournament.

Shubman Gill, on the other hand, has been a more steady influence atop the innings. He notched 53 runs off 55 balls against Bangladesh, his best World Cup score. Shubman is equally adept at scoring freely against pacers and spinners as the slower pitch conditions at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium are expected to suit his batting style.

Middle order: Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul

Virat Kohli is India's leading run-scorer at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with 354 runs. He smashed his 48th ODI ton against Bangladesh and was tantalisingly close to hitting another against New Zealand in India's latest victory. Kohli has scored at an average of 118.00 in this tournament.

Shreyas Iyer has been key in driving the tempo in the middle overs, which will be crucial at Lucknow. He has notched 130 runs while averaging 43.33 in five games.

KL Rahul has also been vital in the run chases for India. He remained unbeaten on 97 in the win against Australia and chipped in with cameos against Bangladesh and New Zealand. The Indian wicket-keeper batter plays franchise cricket at the BRSABV Ekana Stadium and is expected to pile on the runs in familiar conditions.

All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravindra Jadeja has been exceptional with the ball in the tournament. He has picked up seven wickets at an average of 27.14 and an economy rate of 3.97, restricting the opposition in the middle overs. His best spell of 3/28 came in spin-friendly conditions in Chennai and the pitch at Lucknow is expected to be similar. Jadeja also remained unbeaten on 39 in India's recent successful run chase against New Zealand.

On the other hand, Ravichandran Ashwin has played just once this World Cup, taking one wicket in the team's tournament opener against Australia in Chennai. With Hardik Pandya injured and spinners expected to dominate at Lucknow, Ashwin is expected to make the playing XI against England on Sunday.

Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj

Kuldeep Yadav will be another Indian spinner to watch out for against England. He has scalped 10 wickets in six ODIs against the English side and has registered eight wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 so far.

Jasprit Bumrah, meanwhile, is India's leading wicket-taker with 11 dismissals. He has a stunning economy rate of 3.80 alongside an average of 16.27. Bumrah's powerplay and death bowling have baffled batters in this tournament.

Mohammed Shami's figures read 5/54 against New Zealand in his first outing of the tournament. He is expected to partner Mohammed Siraj, who has scalped six wickets in this tournament. The duo will be key to breaking partnerships early on in the innings.

India's Predicted Playing XI

Rohit Sharma (c)

Shubman Gill

Virat Kohli

Shreyas Iyer

KL Rahul (wk)

Ravindra Jadeja

Ravichandran Ashwin

Jasprit Bumrah

Kuldeep Yadav

Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Siraj

from NDTV Sports-Cricket
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