England have announced their squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against India, with a few notable omissions in the 14-man group.
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Of the regular fixtures in the 50-over set-up, Jofra Archer, Joe Root and Chris Woakes are all missing. While Archer has been ruled out due to an ongoing problem in his right elbow, Root and Woakes have been granted a rest.
The absence of the trio and inclusion of some more fringe names does lead to some questions over the make-up of England’s side for the course of the series.
Who bats at three?
With Root not involved, the gaping hole in England’s batting line-up is at one down. Last summer Sam Billings filled in for Ben Stokes successfully in the middle order – the Kent captain averaged 78.75 across six games – so an option England could explore is keeping Billings in the middle order and bumping Stokes – who hasn’t played ODI cricket since the 2019 World Cup final – up to three. Billings has opened for England with reasonable success – he has two half-centuries from four innings in the role – so he could do a job at No.3 himself should Stokes be stationed in the middle order. There is also the option of Liam Livingstone to consider, uncapped in ODI cricket but another batsman in the squad who wears many hats.
Who takes the new ball?
The Woakes and Archer new-ball partnership – one that was key in delivering England a World Cup – will need replacing with both not in action. Barring Stokes, England have four quicks at their disposal: Reece Topley, Mark Wood and the Curran brothers. Topley has taken the new ball in all 11 ODIs he’s played in, which holds him in good stead for a starting spot, although the other three have had brief flirtations with the role, too. Wood has looked more at home in recent years as a change bowler – that’s where he thrived during the World Cup – so it may be that a Surrey new-ball duo is England’s best bet. Whether Adil Rashid’s new opening role in T20Is translates to 50-over cricket remains to be seen.
Will England explore spin outside Adil Rashid?
Rashid was England’s sole spinner in the T20Is against India, with the Ahmedabad surfaces offering little help to the tweakers. With the action shifting to Pune, Matt Parkinson has been brought in to the main squad to boost the spin department and the possibility of a second spinner coming into play during the series. The absence of Woakes may help Moeen Ali fill in at No.7 to boost England’s batting depth, though, like the T20I series, it could be that he’s having to fight it out with Sam Curran to land that role. For all of Parkinson’s talent, Moeen will be the story to follow across this series, with the off-spinner having been rested for the backend of the India Test series only to not then get a game in the T20Is.
