IND vs ENG | Joe Root rested for ODIs; Jofra Archer ruled out with injury

03/21/2021

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The ECB have named England’s squad for the three-match ODI series versus India and have rested Joe Root, who flew back home post the Test matches and will not be partaking in the IPL. England will also be without the services of Jofra Archer, who has been ruled out with an elbow injury.

England will be without their talisman Joe Root for the three-match ODI series versus India, starting Tuesday, as the ECB have decided to rest the 30-year-old, who played in all six Test matches against Sri Lanka and India. Root, who averages 56.00 against India in ODI cricket, was not part of the T20I squad, and so a combination of quarantine restrictions coupled with him not having an IPL deal has seen the English board rest the right-hander for the three-match ODI series.

Barring Root, England will also be without the services of Jofra Archer, who has been pulled from the ODIs in order to attend to an elbow injury. Archer played all 5 T20Is with pain, but the seriousness of the speedster’s injury means that he will miss the ODIs - and most likely the IPL - in order to be fit and firing for the summer, which will see England host New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India. The ECB confirmed that Archer will head back home for injury management.

"Jofra Archer is returning to the UK for further management and investigation of his right elbow injury. Archer's elbow issue has deteriorated over the course of the Twenty20 International series and made it increasingly challenging for him to maintain performance levels. He has been deemed unfit for selection for the ODI series that features matches on 23, 26 and 28 March," read the statement on ECB's website.

Barring the absence of Root and Archer, there are not too many surprises in England’s ODI squad. Sam Billings, who averaged 78.75 in ODI cricket last year, retains his place in the squad, as does Liam Livingstone, who was a part of the T20I squad but did not play. Reece Topley, who like Livingstone, was a part of the T20I squad, finds a place, as does leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, who made his ODI debut last year.

Chris Woakes, who was rested for the final Test and the T20Is, remains out of the squad, while Moeen Ali, despite not playing a single game in the T20I series, has retained his place in the squad. Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood all have also been picked in the squad, while Tom Curran, who featured in the 2nd T20I and enjoyed a fine series versus Australia last summer, has managed to keep his place.

The team will be led by Eoin Morgan, who will then head into the IPL to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Dawid Malan, Chris Jordan and Jake Ball have been named standbys.

England squad for India ODIs

Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) (captain), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), Reece Topley (Surrey), Mark Wood (Durham).

Also travelling with the squad: Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire).