Irfan Pathan Advises India to Stick with Winning Eleven for Second ODI Against England

New Delhi, July 15: Former Indian bowler Irfan Pathan believes the Indian cricket team should avoid making changes to the playing eleven for the second ODI against England unless absolutely necessary.

India kicked off the ODI series with a spectacular victory. In the first ODI held at Edgbaston, Birmingham, the Indian team defeated England by six wickets. After restricting England to 258 runs, India chased down the target of 259 runs, losing only four wickets in 45.2 overs.

However, concerns loom over the fitness of captain Shubman Gill and Gurnoor Barar. Gill had to retire hurt due to a muscle strain and returned to the dressing room, while Gurnoor also appeared to be struggling. Looking ahead to the next match, Pathan stated that there is no compelling reason to alter a winning combination, especially when England faces the challenge of regrouping after their defeat.

Pathan told ‘GeoStar’, “The most important thing is to maintain this momentum. The good news is that you won, so there’s not much need for changes. Moreover, there’s only a one-day break in between. England will have to work hard. They need to prepare quickly and come back with a better plan. Therefore, they face more challenges compared to India.”

While chasing the target of 259 runs, India lost early wickets of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. However, Gill’s 80 runs and an unbeaten century partnership between Axar Patel and Washington Sundar ensured a comfortable victory for India. Supporting the need for consistency in the team, Pathan highlighted fitness as the only aspect that could influence India’s selection for the second ODI.

He remarked, “My main concern for the Indian team would be how serious Gurnoor Barar’s injury is and the severity of Shubman Gill’s hamstring issue since he retired hurt. These are the two factors I will keep a close eye on.”

Pathan emphasized that changes to the playing eleven should only occur if a player is injured, even though there has been discussion about including spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the team. He stated, “Besides that, if both (Gill and Gurnoor) are fit, I don’t think India needs to make many changes, even though there has been talk about including Kuldeep Yadav.”