England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the second ODI as the visitors look to clinch the three-match series after taking a 1-0 lead. While there was relief for India after skipper Shubman Gill was declared fit despite picking up an injury in the series opener, the visitors were dealt another setback with KL Rahul missing the match due to illness.
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Gill confirmed at the toss that Rahul was unavailable because of sickness, with Ishan Kishan returning to the playing XI as his replacement. England, meanwhile, made two changes to their side as they looked to level the series.
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Shubman Gill confirms KL Rahul's illness, Brook explains decision to bowl
Speaking after the toss, Brook said England opted to bowl first after assessing the conditions, believing the surface could assist the seamers early with some grass on offer. The England skipper also stressed that his side needed to execute their plans better after pushing India close in the opening ODI and announced two changes, with Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson replacing Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson.
"We’re gonna have a bowl today. (Talks about the pitch) Yeah, nice even spread of grass. So hopefully we can get a little bit of seam movement and swing up front."
Gill revealed that India would also have preferred to bowl first had they won the toss.
"We would have bowled first as well. (How are you keeping?) Doing well, and yes, very happy and very pleased we had a near-perfect game last game."
The Indian captain expressed satisfaction with his team's near-perfect performance in the series opener, particularly praising the way the bowlers bounced back after the powerplay to seize control in the middle overs. Gill also spoke fondly of his previous stint with Glamorgan and hoped to create more memorable moments in England.
The India skipper then confirmed the only change to the side, revealing that Rahul had fallen sick and Kishan had been drafted into the XI.
India and England make changes for crucial second ODI
India's biggest change comes behind the stumps with Ishan Kishan replacing the unwell KL Rahul, while Gill retained his place after concerns over the injury he sustained during the first ODI.
England, on the other hand, reshuffled their bowling attack by bringing in Saqib Mahmood and Gus Atkinson, with Josh Tongue and Liam Dawson making way.
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna
England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
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With India aiming to seal the series and England desperate to stay alive, the stage is set for another high-stakes contest.
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