ICC World Cup: Comparing the squads of India and England
India and England go in as the favorites to win the ICC World Cup 2019, starting May 30 onwards. Both the sides have played remarkably well in the 50-over format since the last couple of years. These two teams possess strong squads with several match-winners in their ranks. Ahead of the coveted event, we compare the squads of these two teams.
15-member squads to be announced next month
The teams for the World Cup will be announced next month. But the core slots of both England and India are almost fixed. Only a couple of places in the 15-member squad will be decided. We have compared the predicted squads here.
Both sides have world-class top order batsmen
India will have the services of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Virat Kohli at the top. Rohit and Dhawan have gone on to become one of the lethal pairs. Kohli is the world's best batsman right now. England have the aggressive Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. Joe Root is a reliable asset at number three. Verdict: Top three, of both squads, are comparable.
England have a better middle order than India
India have issues with the number four position in particular and the middle order would be tested immensely. Ambati Rayudu lacks the consistency. MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav will bear the responsibility to make an impact. England have a star-studded middle order with the ever dependable Eoin Morgan, all-rounder Ben Stokes and match-winner Jos Buttler. Verdict: England look more solid in this department.
All-rounders Pandya and Moeen crucial
Hardik Pandya is India's pace-bowling all-rounder. It remains to be seen how he performs, given that he hasn't played much cricket since Asia Cup. England have spin all-rounder Moeen Ali in their ranks. He is a decent player. Both players are crucial for their sides.
How does the bowling look?
Jasprit Bumrah is India's best bet with the ball. He is excellent at the death. Mohammed Shami is on fire with the ball and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the desired experience. In-form Kuldeep Yadav is the main spinner. Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and veteran Liam Plunkett are England's go to pacers. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid provides added depth. Verdict: India have a better bowling attack.
A look at the bench strength
Wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal will lend an important voice from the bench. All-rounder Vijay Shankar is still in a learning phase. KL Rahul provides comfort as a back-up top order batsman. Dinesh Karthik is experienced. England will see Alex Hales and Joe Denly providing the depth as back-up batsmen. Tom Curran is an additional pacer. David Willey is the side's third specialist all-rounder.
