Speculation over Rohit’s future has dominated the build-up to the match. However, the BCCI has made it clear that the Lord’s ODI will not be the veteran opener’s final international appearance.
Even so, Rohit will be eager to silence his critics after struggling in the first two matches of the series.
Rohit looks to rediscover his touch
At his best, Rohit is known for his effortless pull shots against pace and his ability to dominate spin. But the 39-year-old has looked far from his fluent self so far, leading to fresh debates over whether he can continue until the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
The two-paced surface in Cardiff did not help his cause as he played nine consecutive dot balls before getting out.
A better batting wicket at the “Home of Cricket” could give Rohit the ideal opportunity to produce a trademark innings.
As India’s former captain, Rohit has often set the tone by attacking in the powerplay. His biggest challenge on Sunday will be handling the pace and bounce of Jofra Archer in the opening overs.
Gill, Kohli key to India’s batting
Current captain Shubman Gill has looked in fine touch with the bat and will be hoping to convert his start into a big hundred after throwing away his wicket in Cardiff.
While Rohit has struggled, Virat Kohli has continued to dominate the ODI format. He looked set for another century in the second ODI before falling to Archer, triggering a middle-order collapse that proved costly for India.
India will hope to avoid repeating those mistakes in the series decider.
KL Rahul’s availability also remains a talking point after Ishan Kishan replaced him in the previous game due to illness. Kishan, like several other Indian batters, found it difficult against England’s short-ball tactics.
Shreyas Iyer has been one of India’s positives in the middle order, especially with his confident batting against leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
Squads
England: Harry Brook (captain), Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, James Coles, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, Josh Tongue.
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Prince Yadav, Harsh Dubey.
