India have drafted all-rounder Harsh Dubey in their squad for the third and final ODI against England after Washington Sundar was ruled out with a right hamstring injury.Sundar sustained the injury during the second ODI at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff and will miss Sunday’s decider at Lord’s.
The comprehensive player is scheduled to undergo tests and request a specialist opinion to determine the extent of the injury.
Dubey’s inclusion comes ahead of a high-stakes contest where the three-match series ended in a 1-1 draw. England recovered from defeat in Birmingham to level the series in Cardiff, setting up a winner-takes-all match on the cricket field.The hosts will take confidence from Joe Root’s scintillating unbeaten 99 in the second ODI.
The former England captain has now scored five consecutive ODI half-centuries and once again confirmed his ability to stabilize the innings under pressure.Meanwhile, India will look to Jasprit Bumrah to regain the upper hand against Root after the Englishman managed to overcome his time in Cardiff.There were encouraging signs for the visitors despite the defeat, as Virat Kohli returned to form with a 65-run knock.
The veteran batsman is now more than 50 notches away from equaling Kumar Sangakkara’s record of fifty-plus scores against England in ODI cricket.However, Rohit Sharma remains under the microscope after managing just half-centuries in eight ODI innings this year, while India will also be hoping that KL Rahul, the wicket-keeper, is ready to return after missing the second ODI.India are bidding for their first ODI win at Lord’s since 2004, with the win securing the series and a memorable end to the tour.India squad for the third ODI: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey.