Irfan Pathan urges India to avoid unnecessary changes for second ODI against England

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has advised India to retain their winning combination for the second ODI against England, saying only fitness concerns involving Shubman Gill and Gurnoor Brar should force changes after the visitors' six-wicket win in the series opener.

New Delhi: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes India should resist making unnecessary changes for the second ODI against England after their convincing series-opening victory at Edgbaston, saying the team’s priority should be maintaining momentum while monitoring the fitness of Shubman Gill and Gurnoor Brar.

India claimed a six-wicket win in Birmingham to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, with Axar Patel starring with both bat and ball and captain Shubman Gill laying the foundation during the chase before retiring hurt with cramps. Fast bowler Gurnoor Brar also picked up two key wickets after appearing to struggle physically during the match.

---

Looking ahead to the next fixture, Pathan said India have little reason to alter a winning combination, while England face the bigger challenge of regrouping after the defeat.

“The main thing is to maintain this momentum. It’s good that you won, so there isn’t much you need to change. Anyway, it’s just a day’s break. England will have to work very hard. They will have to manage the short turnaround and come back with better planning. So, there are more challenges for them than for India,” Pathan told JioStar.

India recovered from the early losses of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the chase of 259, with Gill’s 80, followed by an unbeaten century partnership between Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, sealing victory with 28 balls to spare.

While backing continuity, Pathan identified fitness as the only area that could influence India’s selection for the second ODI. “For the Indian team, my main concern would be how serious Gurnoor Brar’s injury is and how serious Shubman Gill’s hamstring issue is, considering he retired hurt. Those are the two things I will be watching closely,” he added.

Gill retired hurt after making a fluent 80, while Brar played an important role with the ball by triggering England’s middle-order collapse during the first innings.

Pathan added that only injury concerns should prompt changes to the playing XI, even as discussions continue about the possibility of bringing in spinner Kuldeep Yadav.

“Apart from that, if both of them are fit, I don’t think India need to make many changes, even though there might be discussions around Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion,” he stated.

India will head into the second ODI seeking to clinch the series, while England face the task of quickly addressing their shortcomings after falling behind in the three-match contest.