With Virat Kohli returning to form in the last ODI and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed swinging the ball effectively, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be aspiring to use the seaming conditions at Mohali to his best use. However, England are no pushovers and if their opening pair clicks, the course of the game and series would surely take a different turn.
Though England won the first one-day international in Rajkot, India came back strong to win comprehensively in Kochi and Ranchi and would be hoping to seal the series with a victory in the fourth ODI in Mohali.
Let’s take a look at the players who can make a difference for their team in conditions which might help the seamers.
India
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: Brilliant seam bowling by Bhuvaneshwar has not only earned him wickets but also the respect of his captain and team-mates. His ability to bowl his 10 overs at a stretch, has given a lot of relief to Dhoni for rotating his bowlers in the mid-overs. His line of outside the off-stump has so far troubled the English batsmen.
Shami Ahmed: Swinging the ball both ways with pace of above 135kmph has been his key strength and conditions in Mohali looks ideal for seam bowlers. His variations are something which are very rare to see these days. He looks to be a street-smart bowler who can outplay any batsman on any wicket.
Yuvraj Singh: He is back to his hometown for his first one-day in Mohali after his return to ODIs. No one knows the conditions and pitch better than him and add to that his recent performances in ODIs, he surely can hit big score on his home ground.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Captain Cool is very happy with the brilliant all-round performance of his team and his own batting form makes it icing on the cake. His bowling changes and trust that he has showed in youngsters have started paying dividends for his team.
England
Alastair Cook: His batting form hasn’t been good in the last two ODIs but there is no doubt that he still can be very dangerous if his wicket is not taken early in the match. Moreover, conditions in Mohali are pretty much like what they get in England. His batting form can be a turning point of this series.
Kevin Pietersen: He is getting the early starts which other English batsmen otherwise are struggling for. His confident stroke-making puts a lot of pressure on the bowlers and if he goes on to play a big knock, then it’s going to be a big worry for Indian bowling attack.
Joe Root: He has been quite consistent with his score of 30 plus but he always finds himself short of partners at the other end. He has been a promising batsman for England and he needs to be backed up his captain by his promotion up the order.
James Tredwell: He has been the highest wicket-taker for England in this series and making Yuvraj his victim has become a kind of habit of him. If he gets to bowl with Steve Finn, then he can be more effective and the extra bounce that he can extract from the pitch can make him more lethal.
By Amit Copra
Indian Sports News Network
