Kohli returns as India wins toss and bats in 2nd ODI against England

By Canadian Press on February 9, 2025.

CUTTACK, India (AP) — Virat Kohli has returned from a knee injury as England won the toss and opted to bat against India in the second ODI at the Barabati Stadium on Sunday.

India won the first ODI in Nagpur by four wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The hosts had won the preceding T20 series 4-1.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy made his ODI debut for the hosts. He took 14 wickets in the recent five-game T20 series. The 33-year-old is India’s oldest debutant since their inaugural ODI team in 1974 (against England at Leeds).

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was rested for Chakravarthy’s inclusion.

Kohli returns to the playing eleven after recovering from a knock to his knee prior to the first ODI.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut in Nagpur, was left out.

England made three changes, with Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton all included.

Pacer Jofra Archer was rested, while all-rounder Jacob Bethell out with a hamstring issue.

The pitch here is a black soil wicket, and could exhibit variable bounce as the game progresses. Spin will likely come into play on the abrasive surface as the sun beats down. Short square boundaries could aid the batters for a high scoring game.

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Line-ups:

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Lokesh Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Mohammed Shami.

England: Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (captain), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press