Team England in action© BCCI

England may have been the reigning world champions in both 50-over and T20 cricket as recently as two years ago, but they head into the Champions Trophy facing an uphill struggle to reach the semi-finals. They suffered seven defeats in eight white-ball games during their preceding tour of India, culminating in a crushing 142-run loss in the third one-day international in Ahmedabad. That result condemned England to a 3-0 series whitewash, after their 4-1 reverse in the T20s.

Accusations of laziness from India great Ravi Shastri and ex-England batsman Kevin Pietersen may be unfair, but the side have now lost more ODIs since their 2019 World Cup triumph than they have won — 32 to 29, with 10 defeats in their last 14.

In England’s favour is that the pitches in Pakistan, where they face Australia in their Champions Trophy opener in Lahore on Saturday, are set to be more to the liking of both their batsmen and fast bowlers than the spin-friendly surfaces in India.

To reach the last four of the eight-team Champions Trophy ODI tournament, Jos Buttler‘s men must finish in the top two of a group that also contains Afghanistan and South Africa — both of whom beat England during their woeful title defence in the 2023 World Cup in India.

The recent India campaign was England’s first since Test coach Brendon McCullum also took charge of the white-ball teams.

Former New Zealand captain McCullum enjoyed initial success as England’s red-ball boss, although the team have since failed to qualify for the World Test Championship final at Lord’s in June.

‘Always optimistic’

Many of the criticisms levelled against England’s Test cricket under McCullum have now been applied to the limited-overs teams.

The all-format charge sheet against England includes struggle against quality spin and express fast bowling, while their only response when an aggressive ‘Plan A’ fails appears to be simply to ‘go harder’ rather than adapt to the evolving match conditions.

McCullum however was typically bullish following defeat in Ahmedabad, saying: “You know what I’m like. Always optimistic. If you go the other way, you’ve got no chance, right? I have belief in us.”

But whether white-ball skipper Buttler remains the right man to oversee an England revamp is an open question.

It was limited-overs coach Matthew Mott who lost his job following England’s lacklustre defence of their T20 World Cup last year.

Nothing that has happened since suggests Buttler is providing the charismatic or tactical leadership to inspire England.

The dynamic batsman, speaking after the India ODI series, said: “I think the fact we’re not anywhere near our potential yet or playing individually or collectively where we know we can be gives us something to look forward to, believe we can get there and be a dangerous team in the Champions Trophy.”

Dashing England opener Ben Duckett has at least been passed fit for the tournament following a groin injury but rising star Jacob Bethell has been ruled out with a hamstring problem.

Meanwhile, England’s attack — which once featured at least one left-arm paceman — is set to be an all-right-arm affair spearheaded by express quicks Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, with much depending on leg-spinner Adil Rashid.

Encouragingly for England, arch-rivals Australia will be without key players in fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

They too have just been thrashed, with Sri Lanka inflicting a mammoth 174-run loss upon Australia in the second ODI in Colombo.

Intrigue, uncertainty, backstage drama. The ICC Champions Trophy has seen it all even before the curtains go up on the tournament and it would only get more stirring over the next three weeks, starting with the opening clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi. Eight teams will vie for a trophy, often talked up as tougher to win than the World Cup, and also to script a new chapter in their own cricketing story. While India will fight it out in Dubai, others will be primarily based in Pakistan, which would get to host its first ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.

Several barriers had to be hurdled over to cobble this tournament together after eight years. The tournament is also crucial amid the raging debate on the relevance of ODI cricket, which is struggling to find its space amid the rage for T20 cricket and the devotion for Test format.

Perhaps, no other cricketing event in the recent past has been harried so much by long-standing geopolitical tensions, stubbornness by administrative boards of two important participants, and the nail-biting anxiety over the readiness of venues in the main hosting nation.

The chaos has been an endearing throwback to the 90s when cricket in the sub-continent resembled a hastily organised party.

But all these pre-tournament jitters will be forgotten once the teams enter the field, and the first of them will be Pakistan and New Zealand.

If anyone needs a reminder, then Pakistan had won the last edition of the Champions Trophy in 2017.

The opening match in itself is a curious clash — a talented-yet-volatile Pakistan unsure of its own destiny against a team for which order is everything.

But the blue riband match of the tournament will be on February 23 when India take on Pakistan, ushering in customary waves of nostalgia, emotions, political grand-standing, and the social media battle.

That marquee showdown will be in Dubai as India remained steadfast in its refusal to set foot on Pakistani soil owing to security concerns.

Last dance of Kohli, Rohit?

But beyond such team equations, certain individual players would want this tournament to be a memorable one.

On top of the list are India’s batting talismans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. They have been magnificent servants of the game over the last decade and half.

Few in modern era were able to match their achievements and aura. But now, these two titans have reached the last lap of a long race, and would want to bow out in a blaze of glory.

It’s tough to imagine Kohli and Rohit being part of India’s ODI set-up after the Champions Trophy irrespective of the outcome.

It might even impact their future in Test cricket, as a lukewarm outing here might force the selectors to mull over their role ahead of India’s tour to England in June.

Similarly, a failure to win the Champions Trophy will bring the role of head coach Gautam Gambhir under scrutiny.

Gambhir might have received a temporary relief after India’s domination over England in the recent home series, but not it wouldn’t be enough to brush under the carpet, India’s recent travails against New Zealand and Australia.

But a global trophy will certainly give him a much better ground to stand.

From a team perspective, India will be eager to wrest their first ICC trophy in the 50-over format after their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy under the enigmatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

It will be a perfect parting gift to Kohli and Rohit and a welcome carpet to some young names such as Shubman Gill who are set to take India into the future.

The challengers

India are playing a brand of ODI cricket that makes them instant favourites to win the tournament. They have adopted an aggressive approach and have a varied line-up, brimming with talent.

But such calculations can go wrong because of a bad moment or session, as it happened in the 2023 World Cup final when India succumbed to Australia after a middling batting effort.

The Aussies themselves are without their premier pacers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. But the two-time champions still pack a punch as they have a batting unit to meet the demands of ODI format.

Once a feared white-ball team, England have slipped a few rungs as age and form have caught up with some of their leading performers.

But do the likes of Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Liam Livingstone have one last roar left in them? Or will some of their new stars such as Harry Brook or Ben Duckett cut open a new path? New Zealand are also travelling on fresh avenue following the retirement of Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Kane Williamson is their trump card and the Kiwis would hope that he fires for them to earn their maiden white ball ICC trophy.

South Africa too will have a similar goal. They had won ICC Knockouts Trophy in 1998, but not bagged anything in recent times and the Temba Bavuma-led side will be hoping for a reversal of fortune.

But for that to happen, the Proteas should coat their minds with steel in crunch situations.

It’s applicable to Pakistan as well. If they can stop obsessing over the match against India and not treat it as the ‘final frontier’, then the home side is a dangerous opposition.

Their pace attack is top-notch and they have some batters like Fakhar Zaman and Salman Ali Agha who can turn on the heat on the rivals.

Afghanistan, who have transformed into a formidable white-ball outfit, also can put other teams under immense pressure through a squad that has Rashid Khan and Rahmanullah Gurbaz.

Bangladesh now has receded to the periphery of cricketing consciousness, but can they pull of a stunner as they had done in the 2007 50-over World Cup? It would be a fitting tribute to a tournament that has already gone through several disruptions. So, let the play begin.

England’s quest for their maiden ICC Men’s Champions Trophy title carries the weight of past performances and high expectations across the years. Having conquered both the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Champions Trophy remains the only white-ball title missing from their cabinet. Twice before, in 2004 under Michael Vaughan and in 2013 under Alastair Cook, England came agonisingly close, only to falter at the final hurdle against India. Now, as they prepare for the 2025 edition, a full-strength squad, a renewed tactical approach, and the aggressive philosophy of new white-ball head coach Brendon McCullum offer a fresh shot at redemption.

Strength: England’s strength lies in their formidable batting unit, one that has defined their white-ball dominance over the past decade. The team has been the fastest-scoring ODI side since the 2023 World Cup, scoring at 6.02 runs per over. The presence of Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett ensures that England can take the attack to any opposition.

Root’s adaptability and experience make him a crucial figure, particularly in Pakistani conditions where spin is expected to play a key role. Alongside Buttler’s explosiveness and Brook’s fearless approach, England’s batting line-up is built to dictate terms, balancing aggression with the ability to stabilise when needed.

Weakness: However, England’s lead-up to the tournament has been far from ideal. They have won only four of the thirteen ODIs played since the 2023 World Cup and have suffered four consecutive series defeats. This slump has raised concerns about their ability to perform under pressure in a major tournament.

The inconsistency stems largely from an unsettled squad, with key players missing various assignments due to injuries, rest periods, and franchise cricket commitments. Jos Buttler, their full-time captain, has featured in just six ODIs since the World Cup, and the lack of continuity has disrupted their rhythm.

Adding to their worries is the lack of depth in the spin department. With Moeen Ali retired, the burden falls solely on Adil Rashid, England’s most successful ODI spinner. Rashid remains a world-class bowler, but at 36, questions remain over whether he can shoulder the responsibility alone across an entire tournament. His form will be crucial, particularly in the middle overs, where England have often struggled to contain scoring rates.

Joe Root and Liam Livingstone are England’s only other viable spin options, but neither offers the same level of control or wicket-taking threat. This deficiency could prove costly on subcontinental pitches that often aid slow bowlers.

Opportunity: The bowling attack, however, carries immense firepower in the pace department. Jofra Archer’s return, alongside the likes of Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Saqib Mahmood, provides England with a varied and menacing arsenal. Each of these pacers brings a different strength – Archer’s raw pace and accuracy, Wood’s express speed, Atkinson’s skiddy bounce, and Carse’s versatility as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

If these quicks find a rhythm, they can trouble the best batting line-ups. Yet, England’s biggest concern remains their bowling economy. Since the 2023 World Cup, they have conceded 6.41 runs per over on average, the worst among all teams in this period. This vulnerability was evident in their recent ODI series defeats against India (3-0), where opposition batters capitalised on England’s lack of control in the middle overs.

The absence of Ben Stokes and Sam Curran further complicates matters. Stokes, England’s talisman in high-pressure situations, has opted out to focus on his Test career, leaving a void in both leadership and middle-order stability. Curran, on the other hand, has seen his stock fall due to inconsistent performances with the ball, leading to his omission. Their absences mean England lack a left-handed middle-order batter, which could affect their flexibility against match-ups, and a left-arm seamer, limiting the variety in their attack. Jamie Overton and Brydon Carse will have to step up as seam-bowling all-rounders to fill the void left by Stokes and Curran.

Threat: Despite these challenges, the Champions Trophy presents England with a golden opportunity to rewrite history. It offers them the chance to overcome their spin vulnerabilities, refine their bowling execution, and embrace McCullum’s aggressive brand of cricket.

The “Bazball” philosophy, which revolutionised England’s Test cricket, is expected to make its way into their white-ball setup, encouraging fearless cricket even in challenging conditions. If executed well, this approach could unsettle opposition teams and give England the edge in close encounters.

England’s campaign for their maiden Champions Trophy title will kick off on February 22, against Australia in Lahore. Then they will face Afghanistan on February 26 at the same venue and in the last league match they will face South Africa in Karachi on March 1.

England squad: Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

The Champions Trophy begins from Wednesday after a turbulent build-up that saw the tournament split between Pakistan and Dubai, and with England facing calls to boycott their match against Afghanistan. The event, regarded as second only to the World Cup in the one-day game, runs until March 9 and is the first global cricket tournament hosted by Pakistan in nearly three decades. India’s matches will however be played in the United Arab Emirates after the sport’s financial superpower refused to visit their neighbour over long-standing political tensions.

A month-long impasse ended in December when the International Cricket Council said that India would play their games in Dubai.

It raises the prospect of the final of the eight-nation showpiece taking place there, rather than in Pakistan, if India get that far — a good chance given they are favourites to lift the trophy. 

Arch-rivals India and Pakistan, who only face off in international competitions because of the politics, clash in Dubai on February 23 in the group phase.

England play Afghanistan three days later in Lahore in a match that has been met with a backlash in some quarters in Britain.

More than 160 British politicians called for a boycott in response to the Taliban government’s ban on women in sport.

England Cricket Board chairman Richard Thompson vowed the match would go ahead, saying a “coordinated international response” by the cricket community would achieve more than unilateral action.  

The Champions Trophy will be Pakistan’s first ICC event since co-hosting the 1996 World Cup with India and Sri Lanka.

Karachi and Rawalpindi are the other Pakistani cities that will stage games.

Pakistan became a no-go area for foreign teams after the visiting Sri Lankan squad were attacked by gunmen in 2009, leaving eight people dead and wounding several touring players.

But with improved security across most of the country, international cricket returned to Pakistan in 2020.

India favourites

India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh form Group A while Australia, England, Afghanistan and South Africa are in Group B. 

Two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals in Dubai and Lahore.

Pakistan are reigning champions, having defeated India in the final in 2017 at The Oval in London.

But it is two-time winners India who are favourites, with superstar batsman Virat Kohli hoping to overcome a poor run of form by his sky-high standards.

It could be the 36-year-old’s last hurrah on the international stage, with captain Rohit Sharma also likely to retire after the tournament.

“India is playing superb all-round cricket and so are among the favourites for the Champions Trophy,” former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar told AFP.

“The other teams, in my opinion, to watch out for are defending champions Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa.”

India will however be missing ace pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

Australia beat hosts India to win the one-day World Cup in 2023 but they are missing several key players.

Their formidable pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are all out.

Coupled with the sudden retirement from ODIs of Marcus Stoinis and injury to Mitchell Marsh — both key all-rounders — and Australia suddenly look vulnerable.

They were well beaten 2-0 in Sri Lanka in a two-match series last week. Sri Lanka failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy.

Pakistan will open the ninth edition of the Champions Trophy with a match against New Zealand in Karachi on Wednesday.

The co-hosts are unpredictable, as they showed in the last edition of the tournament, losing to India by 124 runs in the opening match before winning the final against them by 180 runs.

England go into the competition under a cloud, having been outclassed by India in both a T20 and one-day series in the lead-up.

With quality spinners led by Rashid Khan, Afghanistan are dangerous.

They shocked England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup and reached the semi-finals of the Twenty20 World Cup last year. 

Gujarat Titans Schedule IPL 2025: One-time champion Gujarat Titans will be entering the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season under the leadership of newly-appointed India ODI vice-captain Shubman Gill, and aim to return to the playoff stage. After winning in their first season – and reaching two finals in two years – GT could manage only an eighth-place finish in 2024. Gujarat also kept Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan in the retentions, and bought big names like Jos Buttler and Kagiso Rabada in the mega auction.

Here is Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2025 schedule in full:

March 25 – GT vs PBKS – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM

March 29 – GT vs MI – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM

April 2 – RCB vs GT – Bengaluru – 7:30 PM

April 6 – SRH vs GT – Hyderabad – 7:30 PM

April 9 – GT vs RR – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM

April 12 – LSG vs GT – Lucknow – 3:30 PM

April 19 – GT vs DC – Ahmedabad – 3:30 PM

April 21 – KKR vs GT – Kolkata – 7:30 PM

April 28 – RR vs GT – Jaipur – 7:30 PM

May 2 – GT vs SRH – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM

May 6 – MI vs GT – Mumbai – 7:30 PM

May 11 – DC vs GT – Delhi – 7:30 PM

May 14 – GT vs LSG – Ahmedabad – 7:30 PM

May 18 – GT vs CSK – Ahmedabad – 3:30 PM

GT IPL 2025 Squad: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Kagiso Rabada (Rs. 10.75 crore), Jos Buttler (Rs. 15.75 crore). Mohammed Siraj (Rs. 12.25 crore), Prasidh Krishna (Rs. 9.50 crore), Nishant Sindhu (Rs. 30 lakh), Mahipal Lomror (Rs. 1.70 crore), Kumar Kushagra (Rs. 65 lakh), Anuj Rawat (Rs. 30 lakh), Manav Suthar (Rs. 30 lakh), Washington Sundar (Rs. 3.20 crore), Gerald Coetzee (Rs. 2.40 crore), Arshad Khan (Rs. 1.30 crore), Gurnoor Brar (Rs. 1.30 crore), Sherfane Rutherford (Rs. 2.60 crore), Sai Kishore (Rs. 2 crore), Ishant Sharma (Rs. 75 lakh), Jayant Yadav (Rs. 75 lakh), Glenn Phillips (Rs. 2 crore), Karim Janat (Rs. 75 lakh), Kulwant Khejroliya (Rs. 30 lakh).

Former England cricketer Mark Butcher has raised concerns about whether England possess enough experience in the 50-over format to compete effectively in the upcoming Champions Trophy. His remarks came after England suffered a humiliating 3-0 series defeat against India, exposing significant weaknesses in their ODI setup. Speaking on the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast during England’s third ODI loss in Ahmedabad, Butcher highlighted the lack of match experience among the squad. England fielded several inexperienced players in the series, including Jacob Bethell, who had played just 16 List A games before making his ODI debut last summer.

Gus Atkinson, who made his international debut in 2023 after featuring in only two List A matches, endured a difficult tour, conceding 139 runs across two ODIs. Following Bethell’s injury, England recalled Tom Banton, who hadn’t played a single 50-over match since his last ODI appearance in 2020.

“The first thing that sprung to my mind during the first two ODIs was just how naive most of our cricket is in the 50-over format,” said Butcher, as quoted from Wisden.

“I thought ‘why might that be?’. It’s because we don’t play any. There is a world of difference in terms of the tempo that the game needs to continuously be played at. I don’t mean that the tempo is a rigid graph that only goes up, the tempo needs to fluctuate in 50-over cricket in a way that it doesn’t need to in 20-over cricket. Having that skill and nous and game awareness to know when to put the foot down and when to ease off a little but, when to sit in and when to go hard, is something that only comes with playing lots of it,” he added.

“I remember back in the 90s when England would play three Texaco Trophy matches during the course of the summer, the sum total of England’s 50-over cricket would be three to six matches per summer. They’d be playing against Indian sides, or West Indian sides or Australian sides, the difference in number of caps between them and our players was three times more on the other team. We’re kind of back in that situation now whereby the India players will out number the number of caps of even someone like Jos Buttler for example, by at least two to one or three to one,” he said.

“A lot of our guys will be a lot better for the run. Gus Atkinson has had a pretty chastening trip and that’s not a bad thing. He’s basically found the game far too easy up to this point and has run into the first road block. Being a very talented boy and somebody who has the hunger and desire to be the very best, he will be better for the experience of a flogging in India. But if you’re talking about winning a Champions Trophy in a couple of weeks time, it’s not likely is it? That our team and the make-up of it and the experience of it is going to have the skill and the nous and the know-how to win what is a very difficult form of cricket, 50-over cricket. It requires more than just putting your foot to the floor and keeping it there,” he noted.

In stark contrast, India’s young players have considerably more experience in the format. Shubman Gill, at just 25, has already played 50 ODIs and over 100 List A matches. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who made his ODI debut in the second match of the series in Cuttack, has already featured in 30 List A games despite being in the early stages of his professional career.

England’s campaign in the Champions Trophy will begin on February 22 in Lahore, where they will take on arch-rivals Australia. They will also face Afghanistan and South Africa in the group stage, hoping to overcome their recent struggles and make a strong impact in the tournament.

England suffered an embarrassing 3-0 ODI series defeat and 4-1 T20I series defeat at the hands of India in their recently-concluded tour, and legendary India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has launched a scathing criticism on them. In particular, Ashwin expressed disappointment at how lightly England seemingly took the series, and also emphasized his disapproval of excuses used by England following their defeats. In particular, England opener Ben Duckett came under the hammer from Ashwin after he’d said that they don’t mind losing the series 3-0 as long as England beat India in the Champions Trophy.

“If we lose 3-0 to India, I don’t care as long as we beat them in the final in the Champions Trophy. No one will probably look back on this series if we go and do the business in that competition,” Duckett had said after the 3-0 ODI series defeat.

Ashwin sharply responded to Duckett’s statements.

“No matter what Ben Duckett says, going into the Champions Trophy this series loss will create a big dent to their confidence,” Ashwin said, speaking on his YouTube channel.

“Ben Duckett has said similar things in the past too, saying Yashasvi Jaiswal has learnt to play aggressive cricket from England’s Bazball style. I know Ben Duckett and his penchant for humour, but this was no joke and it is like you are hiding your failures behind humour,” Ashwin added.

Ashwin also criticized the fact that England players seem to look for excuses after a series defeat. He also stated that the England team has been in a slump for a fair while now.

“Your 2023 ODI World Cup was pretty bad as well. It isn’t like they are in bad form over 2-3 months. It has been the case for four years now. Despite having such a talented group they are not able to justify their potential,” Ashwin stated.

“Even in Test cricket, I read somewhere a few days ago that Ben Stokes said that he doesn’t understand the points system of the WTC. My only advice to him is that if you don’t understand the points system, then first go and understand it. This is not a joke. Every time you lose, you bring up such lame excuses,” Ashwin said.

England will face Australia, South Africa and Afghanistan in what is expected to be a closely-fought group in the Champions Trophy 2025. England finished behind all three nations at the 2023 World Cup.

England endured a horrific India Tour that ended with a 142-run loss against India in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. With the huge loss, the Jos Buttler-led side were clean-sweeped 3-0 in the ODI series. Before that India won the T20I series as well. Former England star batter Kevin Pietersen blasted England’s approach throughout the series. He accused the side of practically not practising at all during the course of the series.

“They had one practice session, the day before the Nagpur game. They had no practice since. Only one batter who had a net was Joe Root. Sorry, but you cannot come to the sub-continent, keep on making the same mistake and then not practice. There is not a single sportsperson who goes into a series and decides ‘I am going to get better without practice.’ I am sorry. I was flabbergasted when I learnt England hasn’t practiced since the first game,” Pietersen said after the third India vs England ODI. 

“I get it. Enjoy yourselves. These are the best time of your life. Play golf. Go out, eat in a beautiful restaurant. But you get paid to score runs. That is why you get paid. You get paid to win games of cricket. You don’t get paid to play golf. This is not a golf tour, this is a cricket tour. You practice so that you leave on a flight tomorrow knowing ‘I have given my everything to win a game of cricket for England’. There not one person in that England dressing room that cane get on a plane tomorrow, may be Joe Root is the only one who tried and practiced…not a single player tried. 

“I am gutted, that I have to say that you can disrespect Indian conditions and India so much. I am absolutely gutted as an Englishman.”

England skipper Jos Buttler admitted his team were outplayed by India in the three-match ODI series which concluded with a 142-run defeat for the visitors at Narendra Modi Stadium here on Wednesday.

England batters heavily struggled against spin throughout their tour of India, which included a 1-4 defeat in the five-game T20I series and will need to make quick changes to their approach ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy set to kick off in Pakistan on February 19.

“Similar to the whole tour, we were outplayed by a fantastic team. Our approach is the right one, it’s just that we haven’t executed well. They put a great score on the board. Shubman played a great innings. We got off to a great start again but it’s a familiar story for us. We need to find a way to bat for longer. We were up against a really good side that keeps challenging us,” said Buttler in the post-game presentation.

The England batters heavily struggled throughout the three-game series with opener Ben Duckett and veteran Joe Root, who returned to the ODI side for the first time since the 2023 World Cup, being the only two English batters to accumulate three-digit scores across the three innings. Many will question the inconsistency on display by their middle-order which struggled against spin on more than one occasion.

With IANS inputs