India Vs England, 2nd ODI: Check Match Prediction And Likely XIs For Today's Clash

India will look to wrap up the three-match ODI series when they take on England in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on Thursday. Shubman Gill's men made a strong statement in the series opener at Edgbaston, cruising to a six-wicket win after chasing down 259 with 28 balls to spare.

The victory was particularly impressive considering India had entered the ODI leg after a disappointing 4-0 defeat in the T20I series. Axar Patel starred with an all-round performance of 4/62 and 57, while Gill's fluent 80 before retiring hurt due to cramps laid the foundation for the chase.

India, however, have a few fitness concerns ahead of the must-win clash for England. Captain Shubman Gill suffered cramps in the first ODI and retired hurt, although the injury is not believed to be serious.

Reports also suggest pacer Gurnoor Brar is nursing a fitness issue, potentially opening the door for Arshdeep Singh or Prince Yadav if changes are required. Rohit Sharma will also be eager for a bigger contribution after managing only 11 in the opener, while Virat Kohli continues to be a key figure in India's batting lineup.

England, meanwhile, find themselves under pressure after another familiar batting collapse. Despite Joe Root's unbeaten 76 and Liam Dawson's 68 rescuing the hosts from 80/5 to 258, the total proved insufficient as India chased it comfortably. Harry Brook's side will hope for stronger support from the top order, with Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell and Jos Buttler needing to convert starts into substantial scores.

Sophia Gardens has produced several high-scoring ODIs in recent years, with 280 crossed in six of the last eight completed innings, suggesting another run-filled contest could be on the cards if conditions remain dry.

With India carrying momentum and England fighting to keep the series alive, another fiercely contested battle is expected in Cardiff. The visitors will be eyeing an unassailable 2-0 lead before the teams head to Lord's for the final ODI, while England must respond quickly to avoid another home series defeat. The match also carries added significance as both teams continue fine-tuning combinations ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup.

India vs England, 2nd ODI: Match Prediction

According to Google's win predictor, England hold a slight edge with a 52% chance of victory, while India are close behind at 48%. England's familiarity with Cardiff and the urgency of avoiding a series defeat work in their favour.

However, India's balanced bowling attack and confidence from the convincing first ODI win make them equally capable of taking a decisive 2-0 lead. With little separating the two sides, expect a closely fought contest that could be decided by the team that handles the middle overs better.

India vs England, 2nd ODI: Probable Playing XI

England: Jacob Bethell, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Liam Dawson, Josh Tongue, Adil Rashid

India: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar/Prince Yadav/Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah