India's Mohammed Shami celebrates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Matt Henry during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between India and New Zealand

India out to deliver knockout blow on England title defence

India's Mohammed Shami celebrates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Matt Henry during the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match between India and New Zealand
Soaring India meet flat England on last chance | It Takes One Day Episode 29 | CWC23

It Takes One Day: Episode 29: former England captain Nasser Hussain and ICC Digital Insider Tanvi Shah preview the epic clash between India and England

Sunday 29 October, BRSABVE Cricket Stadium, Lucknow

India and England are playing out totally distinct campaigns at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023.

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England are packed with 'world class players' but the defending champions are on the brink of missing out on the knockout stages at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

The hosts are undefeated after five matches and surging towards the semi-finals, while England are rooted to the bottom of the standings and all but out of contention to join the pointy end of the tournament.

India have mostly looked irrepressible as they brushed aside each of their five opponents so far but will still be wary of a defending champion now well and truly on the ropes.

A well-balanced attack has been a key to India’s bright start with 46 of a possible 50 batters dismissed thus far, including the full allotment against Australia, Pakistan and New Zealand.

That will rightly concern an England outfit that has failed to pass 200 in their two outings since scoring 215 and falling 69 runs short in the loss to Afghanistan that in hindsight exposed a range of deficiencies.

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India opener Shubman Gill is out to match previous generations that inspired the young gun at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

England will still have a winding route to take to the knockout stages even if they fail to turn around their form and fortunes to snatch a victory from India.

But a fourth consecutive loss would mean England need so many results to go their way that this already looks like the titleholders' last stand.

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.

**England:**Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Brydon Carse, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.

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Match preview with England all-rounder Chris Woakes and India opener Shubman Gill at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

India - Mohammed Shami

The India pacer was forced to watch on as the hosts opened their campaign with four comprehensive victories.

But Shami made the most of his opportunity when called into the side in place of the injured Hardik Pandya with a barnstorming 5/54 in a top-of-the-table clash with New Zealand.

Shami’s immediate impact was enough to earn him the Player of the Match award and should ensure the right-arm speedster holds his place in the India attack against England.

The defending champions already have plenty to worry about but now need to also be wary of Shami as a World Cup weapon with 36 scalps at an average of 15.02 in 12 matches across the showpiece events of the 50-over format.

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India pacer Mohammed Shami was quickly back to his best after being recalled to the playing XI with a five-for against New Zealand at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

England - Ben Stokes

The England red-ball captain was famously the hero in their pair of white-ball title triumphs at the Cricket World Cup on home soil in 2019 and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup last year.

Stokes hinted that he might inspire another great escape when guiding England from 68/3 to 137/8 against Sri Lanka, but despite compiling 43 runs of his own he ultimately lacked the form and fitness to turn the game again.

The 32-year-old made a delayed start to England’s title defence after battling a hip issue, and has been ruled out from bowling at the tournament, but now has two knocks under his belt to rediscover some polish.

With England’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages fading more with every outing, the clash with hosts India is the ideal - and perhaps last - opportunity at this tournament for another Stokes special.

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Ben Stokes has steered England to some of their greatest-ever victories and the all-rounder is now aiming to lead their recovery at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023

India vs England - LeagueEnglandIndiaICC Cricket World Cup, 2023Cricket World Cup