The first one-day international did not go as planned for either side, with rain deciding to camp in Bristol, and refusing to leave no matter what. The 2nd ODI, to be held in Cardiff, will, hopefully, give everyone a game to watch and England and India one to play.
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The 2nd one-day international in Cardiff, which will hopefull be dry and sunny, is scheduled to start at 10.30 am local time (3 pm IST, 5.30 am ET) with live TV coverage on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3 (in Hindi) and Star Sports HD1 in India. The match can also be watched via free live streaming online in India HERE. Live Stream the match in the UK HERE or HERE, with TV coverage on Sky Sports 2. Listen to the Test match via BBC Radio 5 Live HERE. The match will be telecast live on ESPN3 in the US, while the action can also be Live streamed HERE.
After the Test series debacle, India need some game time to just get those awful defeats out of their minds, and there is no better opportunity to do that for them than with ODIs – there is some rain forecast for the day, though, even if we should be able to see a completed match, even if not a full one.
Of course, a little bit of the off-field comments have not helped matters, with skipper MS Dhoni and the BCCI seemingly at loggerheads over Duncan Fletcher.
The inclusion of Ravi Shastri, who will monitor proceedings behind the scenes like a hawk, and new support staff will test Dhoni and Fletcher's resolve, and how they adapt to change will probably show itself on the field when the two teams battle it out in the 2nd ODI at Sophia Gardens.
For England, there are plenty of questions as well, with their team, according to many, including recent regular Graeme Swann, just not good/balanced enough to worry too many teams in the shorter formats of the game.
Alastair Cook has always been criticised for his circumspect style at the top of the order, but the skipper should welcome the inclusion of the exciting Alex Hales, who will be his new opening partner, with Ian Bell dropping down to No.3.
How well it will work remains to be seen, with Cook seen as someone who can anchor the innings, while the other batsmen play around him.
"Hales is an explosive player," England batsman, and one of India's biggest thorns in the Test series, Joe Root told ECB's official website. "He's exciting to watch and I am really looking forward to him doing his stuff. I think we have got a nice balance.
"We have got guys like Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler coming in down the order, who can win games on their own. Mixed in with everyone else, I think we are in a good place. This series will be a good judge of that."
The extra few days of gap between the Test and ODI series would have worked one of two ways for the two teams – either they will be better equipped thanks to a little bit more of practice, or all of that extra energy to go out there and prove themselves would have been nullified a little by the wait.
Root clearly believes the break will only help. "It means we have had an extra day's practice as a whole squad so we want to make sure we make the most of those," added the right-hander. "I think we have over the last couple of days.
"It is still in the back of our minds what happened in the Test series and we are hoping to take that momentum forward. You cannot look too far ahead of India, they are a very good side in one-day cricket. We know we are going to have to play well to beat them, but we are in a very good place as a team at the minute.
"The whole squad is really looking forward [to the match]. We are in a good place and we want to make sure we start well in this series and take the momentum forward."
India and England need as much momentum as they can carry to the World Cup which is getting closer and closer, and the team that stamp their authority with victory in the 2nd ODI might just carry it forward all the way to the rest of the games in the five-match series.
Expected lineups: England: Alex Hales, Alastair Cook (capt), Ian Bell, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, James Tredwell, James Anderson.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.
