Shafali Verma in line for ODI debut as England host India in Bristol

Overview:

England vs India, first ODI
Bristol County Ground, Bristol
27 June, 11:00 AM Local

India will look to put their 4-1 series loss in the ODI series against South Africa from earlier this year behind them when they face England in the first match on Sunday.

After being left out of the squad for the South Africa series, Shafali Verma could finally be handed her ODI debut. Verma had an impressive showing on her Test debut against England, scoring a fifty in each innings (96 and 63) and will look to carry her form into the white-ball leg. Sneh Rana too could play her first ODI for India after her all-round exploits helped the visitors salvage a draw from a difficult situation.

England, led by Heather Knight, will be heading into the series on a high having defeated New Zealand 2-1 earlier this year in February. After marking her debut with a maiden fifty, Sophia Dunkley is likely to be handed her maiden ODI cap on Sunday

Remember the last time:

The last time the two sides clashed in ODIs, India got the better of England in home conditions with a 2-1 series win. Smriti Mandhana shined for India and ended as the leading run-scorer (153 runs) in the series with two fifties. Shikha Pandey and Jhulan Goswami were the pick of the bowlers, with both of them accounting for eight scalps each in the three ODIs.

What they said:

Mithali Raj (India captain):"We look really positive going into the World Cup. The way the girls performed to save the Test has added confidence to the unit. England is a very good side, one of the best in the world. They will have the advantage of playing at home. But we have players who have played leagues here in England, we’ll gather information from them and that will help us do well."

Lauren Winfield-Hill (England batter): "We're a good side, we've got a lot of world-class players and I think it's a real start to build some momentum towards that World Cup and grow this side to make sure we are closing the gap."