After the Test and T20I legs, the Indian and English cricket teams are all set to lock horns in a three match ODI series, all of which will be played in Pune. The first match will be played today, beginning at 1:30 pm IST. This in fact will be the first time that these two teams will play against each other in an ODI, since India lost to England in a group stage match in the 2019 ODI World Cup, which England went on to win.
Ahead of the first ODI today, here’s a quick look at some of the big statistics and approaching landmarks, including Virat Kohli being just one century away from equalling a record currently held by Sachin Tendulkar:
* This is the 10th time India have hosted a men’s multi-game bilateral ODI series versus England; the tourists have only mustered one victory across those previous series in India (Drawn 2; Lost 6), England have lost each of the last five series in India
* India are set to face off against England for the first time in a men’s ODI since losing an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup group game by a margin of 31 runs versus the eventual champions (30 June 2019).
* England have put together a run of three successive victories versus India in men’s ODI cricket, a win here would equal their longest ever winning streak against them in the format (4 in a row between 1974 and 1981).
* India have been involved in only one completed men’s ODI versus England at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, beating them by three wickets there in January 2017; India have logged two victories and two losses at the Pune venue in this format.
* Both sides have only managed to win 50% of their completed men’s ODI games since the end of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, India recording seven victories and seven defeats. Eoin’s Morgan’s men meanwhile have four wins in eight outings (losing 4).
* Virat Kohli (India) is one century away from equalling the record for most men’s ODI tons in India (currently held by Sachin Tendulkar, 20) as well as being one shy of posting the joint-most hundreds in men’s ODIs between India and England (currently Yuvraj Singh – four)
* Virat Kohli has registered 30 ODI knocks versus England with his highest score against them in the format being registered at this very venue in Pune, posting 122 off 105 balls in January 2017; the India skipper comes into this match as the highest run-scorer across the recent five-match men’s T20I series with England (231).
*Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India) managed to get England talisman Jos Buttler out on three occasions during the recent men’s T20I series, the most instances of any bowler dismissing a batsman across those five fixtures (conceding just 26 runs).
* India seamers have the highest share of yorker-length deliveries than any other Test-playing nation in men’s ODIs since the start of 2020 (5.5%); that is over four times the share registered by England seamers during that period (1.3%).