IND vs ENG 1st ODI Playing 11 and Toss Report: England Opt To Bat; Shami Returns, Jaiswal-Rana Make Debut, Virat Kohli Misses Out

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IND vs ENG Toss, Playing 11 Report: Jos Buttler-led England opted to bowl first after winning the toss against home side India at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur on February 6, 2025 (Thursday).

After putting to bowl, Rohit Sharma confirmed that Virat Kohli is not taking part in this match due to an injury and the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Harshit Rana make their ODI debuts.

On the other hand, Mohammed Shami finally makes his long-awaited international return.

''We will bat first today. Nice thing going in the dressing room, looking forward to these ODis and we're happy to welcome back Joe Root. The morale has been good, everyone's good and the Baz has looked after us well. We're playing against a top-side in their conditions, a tough test going ahead into the Champions Trophy. We're playing 3 pacers and an extra spin-bowling all-rounder'', Buttler said at the toss.

''We wanted to bowl first, but it doesn't matter a lot. Need to be aggressive with the ball at the start and then need to do well later. Nice to get some time off, it's a fresh start and this is a great chance to do well. It's very important to get some gametime, try and maximize whatever opportunity we have. Jaiswal and Harshit are making their debuts, unfortunately Virat isn't playing, he had a knee problem last night'', Rohit Sharma said at the toss.

Pitch Report

The VCA Stadium pitch in Nagpur is traditionally not a high-scoring venue due to its larger boundaries-69m and 68m square, and 75m straight. However, for this match, the conditions look good for batting. The red-soil pitch is hard and dry, with a bit of grass but no moisture. This means seamers won't get much movement, but the ball should come onto the bat nicely, allowing for stroke play. Since it's a red-soil surface, spinners are expected to get assistance later as the pitch dries further. A light breeze could also help them from one end. Dew could be a factor in the second innings, making it harder for bowlers, especially spinners.

IND vs ENG Playing XI

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma(c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami.

England (Playing XI): Ben Duckett, Philip Salt(w), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler(c), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood.