11 July,2022 09:40 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Jos Buttler warms up ahead of the 2nd T20I match between England and India. Pic/ AFP
With the T20I series all wrapped up, India's focus now turns to towards the upcoming 3-match ODI contest. Despite dominating England through most of the T20I series, India won't be resting easy on their laurels. England's white ball revolution that began post the 2015 World Cup has seen them re-invent the way the 50-over game is played. It's not a long-shot to suggest that England are one of the best ODI sides of all time. So let's take a look at some of the players that India and their fans need to be wary of in the series that begins on July 12th.
Jos Buttler
England's new white-ball skipper needs no introduction. Buttler has been one of the best white-ball players in the game for a good number of years now, but he has truly taken his batting to new heights since the start of 2022. Indian fans will be well-versed with his ballistic IPL exploits this year where he scored 863 runs at an average of over 57 and a strike rate of nearly 150.
As if headlining the IPL wasn't enough, Buttler laid waste to the Netherlands' bowling attack in June. In that series, Buttler scored 248 runs in 2 innings at a strike rate of 185, including a brutal 162' off just 70 balls. If that is indeed the same Buttler that turns up against India, then the men in blue may need divine intervention to save them from Jos' onslaught
Sam Curran
Sam Curran's IPL exploits have made him the star boy of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. For his country, Curran will be hoping to channel more of the same and establish himself as a starter in England's ODI setup.
Although he is coming back from an injury that ruled him out of the IPL, the all-rounder made a big impression with the bat and ball for Surrey in the last month or so. He scored 2 fifties from 8 innings at a strike rate of 146 and also picked up 11 wickets from just 5 innings.
Despite failing to make a mark in the two T20Is he featured in against India, he's the sort of x-factor player that can turn the game around for England with the bat and ball. India have already experienced this in the 2018 Test series.
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Harry Brook
A lot of Indian fans got their first glimpse of Brook when he played in the T20I series. Although he failed to make a significant mark, Brook is regarded as one of England's future all-format stars. He is slated to slide straight into Eoin Morgan's vacant batting berth and just like the ex-skipper, Brook fancies taking the bowlers to town.
He had a stellar campaign in The Hundred last year, making a name for himself as a finisher and has since translated that form into the other formats of the game as well. In the ongoing Vitality Blast, Brook has scored 434 runs in 11 innings at an average of over 43 and a jaw-dropping strike rate of 166. If he can channel his domestic form at the international level, India's bowlers might pay the price.
